PDP affirms Turaki-Led leadership after Ibadan Court declines mandamus order

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reassured members that the Kabiru Turaki-led leadership remains firmly in place, following a ruling by the Federal High Court in Ibadan on Friday that declined to grant an order of mandamus in a case linked to the party’s internal leadership dispute.

In a statement issued shortly after the judgment, signed by National Publicity Secretary Comrade Ini Ememobong, the PDP said the court’s decision did not amount to a judgment on the validity of the Ibadan Convention, but was based on the view that granting the relief sought would effectively require the court to sit on appeal over decisions of courts of coordinate jurisdiction.

“The judgment of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, essentially declined to grant the order of mandamus sought on the ground that doing so would amount to sitting on appeal over judgments of courts of coordinate jurisdiction,” the statement said.

Ememobong confirmed that the party had initiated the process to challenge the ruling through the appellate courts and urged members to remain calm and focused, stressing that the Ibadan Convention and the leadership it produced remain legally intact and unshaken.

“Notwithstanding this judgment, the Kabiru Turaki-led Peoples Democratic Party, which emerged from the Ibadan Convention, remains firmly in place as we await the authoritative pronouncement of the appellate courts,” the statement added.

The PDP also emphasised that its reform agenda and the REBIRTH movement remain unaffected by the ruling and framed the court decision as a legal procedural matter rather than a political defeat.

The Ibadan judgment is the latest development in a long-running contest over control and direction within the party, with several related cases still pending before various courts.