The Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, has advised the warring factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to resolve their differences amicably in the interest of the party.
The appellate court, led by Justice Biobele Georgewill, gave the advice during the hearing of appeals filed by the rival factions of the party over the legality of the PDP national convention held in Ibadan in November 2025.
The dispute arose after a Federal High Court in Ibadan on November 25, 2025, invalidated the outcome of the party’s convention held on November 15 and 16, 2025.
The judgment was obtained by a faction of the party backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and led by Abdulrahman Mohammed, chairman of the party’s caretaker committee.
However, in another suit, Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court ruled on February 25 that the convention complied with the PDP constitution and the Electoral Act and was therefore valid. The court also held that Taminu Turaki was lawfully elected as the party’s national chairman.
Following the conflicting judgments, the rival factions filed separate appeals at the Court of Appeal in Abuja and Ibadan.
During Friday’s proceedings in Ibadan, counsel to the appellant, Fredrick Ladapo, informed the court that a Notice of Withdrawal of Appeal had been filed on March 4.
Justice Georgewill described the dispute within the PDP as a “family affair gone sour” and suggested that the matter could be settled in view of the notice of withdrawal.
The court directed the factions to meet with their lawyers and agree on terms of settlement, stating that once the parties reach an agreement, the terms would be adopted by the court as its judgment.
The case was adjourned until March 11 for the parties to report whether they had reached a settlement.
The court added that if the parties fail to resolve the dispute, it would proceed with the appeal or transfer the case to Abuja for consolidation with other related appeals.
Meanwhile, the PDP welcomed a Federal High Court ruling in Abuja directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Dr. Oluwole Oluyede as the party’s governorship candidate for the Ekiti State election.
According to the party, the court ordered INEC to include Oluyede’s name and the PDP logo on the ballot for the upcoming governorship election and restrained the commission from excluding him from election-related activities.
PDP spokesperson Ini Ememobong said the judgment granted all the reliefs sought by Oluyede and the party in the suit filed against the electoral commission.
