The leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took another dramatic turn after the Court of Appeal in Abuja nullified key portions of a Federal High Court judgment that recognised a factional caretaker committee, ruling that the lower court granted reliefs that were never requested by any party in the suit.
In a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam and endorsed by Justices Mohammed Mustapha and Okon Abang, the appellate court held that the Federal High Court in Ibadan exceeded its jurisdiction when it recognised the caretaker committee led by Abdurahman Mohammed and Samuel Anyanwu.
The court ruled that the issue of recognising the committee was not among the reliefs sought by litigants and therefore ought not to have formed part of the judgment.
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The ruling effectively dismantles one of the legal pillars that had been used to justify the recognition of the factional leadership structure within the opposition party.
Justice Onyemenam stated that courts are bound by the claims and issues brought before them and cannot grant declarations or remedies outside the scope of the parties’ requests.
The Court of Appeal also noted that the legal foundation upon which the Federal High Court based its decision had already been wiped out by subsequent judicial pronouncements.
According to the judgment, the Supreme Court had earlier nullified the PDP National Convention held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, 2025, rendering invalid any structures, committees or leadership organs purportedly created from that convention.
“Once the convention itself has been pronounced null, void and of no effect by the Supreme Court, any superstructure erected upon it is necessarily without legal foundation,” the court held.
The appellate court explained that under normal circumstances it might have ordered a retrial of the issues before the lower court. However, it held that such a step would serve no legal purpose because the Supreme Court had already settled the substantive questions surrounding the convention and its aftermath.
The latest verdict comes amid months of intense legal and political battles over the control of Nigeria’s main opposition party ahead of preparations for the 2027 general election.
The PDP has been embroiled in multiple court cases involving rival leadership blocs, disputes over the office of National Secretary, convention outcomes and the legitimacy of party organs.
Political observers say the judgment could further reshape the internal balance of power within the PDP, with rival factions expected to advance competing interpretations of the verdict.
The decision is also likely to generate renewed debate over party leadership recognition and internal democracy within one of Nigeria’s largest political parties.
For now, the ruling represents another major judicial intervention in the prolonged battle for the soul of the PDP, leaving the party facing renewed uncertainty as it attempts to reposition itself ahead of future electoral contests.
