The recent Supreme Court verdict has plunged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into a leadership crisis, according to a faction loyal to former Minister Tanimu Turaki. The group argues that the decision effectively eliminates any clear chain of command within the opposition party.
In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Ini Ememobong, the Turaki-aligned group described the ruling as a pivotal moment that threatens the party’s stability. They emphasized that the court’s judgment, which upheld earlier rulings by the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court, invalidated a PDP convention held in Ibadan.
The Supreme Court’s five-member panel delivered a split decision, with three justices supporting the majority opinion and two dissenting. The majority determined that the appellants had violated an existing court order by proceeding with the convention, leading to the dismissal of their appeal on grounds of contempt. In contrast, the dissenting justices argued that the matter was an internal party affair and should not have been adjudicated by the courts. They also criticized the majority for raising legal issues not argued by the parties.
Ememobong warned that the combination of this ruling and previous suspensions of key party figures has created a void in leadership. “This effectively leaves the PDP without a defined leadership,” he stated. The faction urged party organs to take immediate steps to restore order and legitimacy, cautioning that failure to act could undermine Nigeria’s multi-party democracy.