Supreme Court Verdict Sets Off Fresh Battle Over PDP Control

Fresh tensions have erupted within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following the Supreme Court judgment of April 30, 2026 with rival camps offering sharply conflicting interpretations of the ruling and staking claims to the party’s leadership.

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The PDP aligned with Nyesom Wike has warned the Board of Trustees (BoT) led by Adolphus Wabara to stay off party leadership matters, insisting there is no vacuum to justify any intervention.

At a press conference held yesterday at the Wadata Plaza headquarters of the party in Abuja, the group maintained that the BoT lacks constitutional authority to assume the functions of the National Working Committee (NWC), describing recent claims of a leadership role as unlawful and misleading.

Addressing journalists, the national publicity secretary of the faction, Jungudo Mohammed, said the Supreme Court ruling only nullified the controversial Ibadan convention and did not address issues of suspension or expulsion of party officials.

“The judgment is explicit. It addressed only the legality of the so-called Ibadan convention and dismissed the appeal for lacking merit. There was no mention of suspension or expulsion because such issues were never before the court,” he said.

He insisted that the PDP leadership remained intact under the national chairman, Hon. Abdulrahman Mohammed and national secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, dismissing suggestions of a leadership crisis as a deliberate distortion.

The group also accused elements within the party of attempting to destabilise its structure through misinformation and disregard for court rulings.

On the BoT controversy, the PDP NWC was emphatic that the body cannot assume executive powers within the party.

“Senator Wabara, whose tenure has long expired, should refrain from making statements on behalf of the PDP. The only recognised leadership of the BoT is that led by Senator Mao Ohuabunwa,” the statement added.

It further criticised comments by media personality, Reuben Abati, accusing him of promoting what it described as a false narrative of a leadership vacuum in the party.

This comes as the Wabara led BoT plans to meet on Monday in preparation for a NEC meeting. This camps enjoys the backing of the PDP governors, Seyi Makinde and Bala Mohammed who attended a meeting of party leaders in Abuja on Thursday evening after the Supreme Court verdict.

However, the rival camp loyal to Kabiru Turaki has dismissed the position of the Wike-backed group, insisting that the Supreme Court ruling effectively upheld the suspension of key party officials.

Spokesman of the group, Ini Ememobong, described the opposing interpretation as misleading and legally flawed.

“The Wike-backed group is dramatising ignorance and it’s a crying shame that they are lawyers amongst them. We can pardon the non-lawyers amongst them who hold this opinion,” Ememobong said.

He pointed to the dismissal of cross-appeals filed by the rival faction as evidence that the court’s decision went beyond merely nullifying the convention.

“Their counsel filed two cross-appeals, which were unanimously dismissed—the only ruling that enjoyed such unanimity. They should tell the world what the subject of their cross-appeals was,” he stated.

According to him, by upholding the judgment of the Court of Appeal without any variation, the Supreme Court also sustained earlier decisions, including the suspension of some party officials.

“By upholding the Court of Appeal’s judgment without varying anything, the Supreme Court also upheld the suspension of Ajibade, Anyanwu, and others. They can continue to dwell in a fool’s paradise; very soon it will be clear to them that their destination is a cul-de-sac,” he added.

Ememobong further accused the Wike-backed faction of deliberately distorting facts to mislead party members and the public.

“When the Certified True Copy of the judgment is out, I don’t know where they will hide their face. It’s the same con strategy they used when the Court of Appeal delivered judgment and when the appeal filed by Anyanwu made it to the news,” he said.

He also alleged that those disputing the interpretation of the ruling were acting in bad faith.

“The default position of these APC apologists masquerading as PDP members is to deny the truth, then later try to rationalise it,” he added.