The Peoples Democratic Party’s National Working Committee, led by Tanimu Turaki (SAN), was rejected by the Independent National Electoral Commission due to pending legal proceedings and court rulings.
In response to the decision, the Turaki-led NWC’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, maintained that the party leadership was legitimate and emphasised that there was no faction within the PDP.
However, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, National Secretary of the Nyesom Wike-backed faction, hailed the move as a faithful adherence to court judgments.
PDP governors had endorsed the Ibadan convention, where Turaki and other members of the NWC were elected on November 16 for four-year terms.
However, Wike, along with his allies, Mohammed Abdulrahman and Senator Anyanwu, insisted they still held the positions of Acting National Chairman and Acting National Secretary, respectively.
While the governors facilitated a smooth handover from former chairman Umar Damagum to Turaki before Damagum’s tenure officially ended on December 9, the Wike-aligned faction went ahead on December 8 to appoint Mohammed, Anyanwu, and others as 13 members of a 60-day caretaker committee.
Both factions have since been vying for INEC’s official recognition.
Consequently, INEC, in a letter dated December 22 and addressed to the Turaki-led NWC lawyers, Akintayo Balogun & Co, and signed by Dr Rose Oriaran-Anthony, Secretary to the Commission, titled “Re: Demand for Recognition and Update of the List of the National Officers Elected at the Purported 2025 Elective National Convention of PDP,” obtained by The PUNCH on Tuesday, stated that it could not recognise or update the list of PDP national officers allegedly elected at the November convention, citing adherence to the law and existing court orders.
The letter read in part: “The commission has carefully considered the demands in the light of all material facts, extant laws, and most importantly, subsisting court judgments touching directly on the subject matter.
“You may wish to note that there are two subsisting final judgments of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, namely: Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, Austine Nwachukwu & 2 Ors. v. INEC & 8 Ors., delivered on October 31, 2025; and Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2299/2025, Alhaji Sule Lamido v. PDP & 4 Ors., delivered on November 14, 2025.
“Both judgments, which are final in nature and binding on all parties, expressly restrained the commission from supervising, monitoring, recognising, or in any manner whatsoever accepting the outcome of the PDP National Convention held on November 15 and 16, 2025, or any other date, pending compliance with the orders of the court.
“While the commission is aware that notices of appeal have been filed against the said judgments, it is settled law that the mere filing of an appeal does not operate as a stay of execution. Until the said judgments are set aside or stayed by a competent court, the commission remains bound to obey and give full effect to them, in line with Section 287(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).”
The commission further highlighted the interim orders issued by the High Court of Oyo State in Suit No. 1/1336/2025, Folahan Malomo Adelabi v. PDP & Ors., noting that its name had been removed from the suit due to lack of jurisdiction. It added that, in any case, an interim order could not override or nullify existing final judgments of courts of equal or higher authority.
It stated in part: “In addition, there is also a suit filed by your client in Suit No. FHC/IB/CS/121/2025, PDP v. INEC, wherein it sought an order mandating the commission to recognise the National Working Committee and members of the National Executive Committee elected by the National Convention of the PDP held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, 2025, as the Executive Committee of the PDP in all matters pertaining to her, including the conduct of primary elections for political offices and the submission of PDP’s list of candidates for any election to be conducted by the commission.
