The Court of Appeal of Nigeria has dismissed an appeal filed by a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party led by former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki, SAN, challenging the authority of the Federal High Court of Nigeria to hear a case concerning the party’s planned national convention.
The appellate court delivered the ruling while deciding on nine consolidated appeals filed by Governor Seyi Makinde backed group, which also questioned a previous court order stopping the party from holding its proposed National Convention earlier scheduled for November 14 and 15, 2025.
In a unanimous judgment, the three-member panel upheld the earlier decision of the Federal High Court which restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising or validating the planned convention.
The court ruled that the Federal High Court had the legal authority to handle the case, dismissing the argument by the appellants that the matter was strictly an internal issue within the party.
According to the appellate court, the appellants could not describe an alleged breach of the party’s constitution and the Constitution of Nigeria as merely an internal affair of the party.
Consequently, the court dismissed the appeal and ordered the appellants to pay a cost of N2 million.
