The National Ex-Officios Forum of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vehemently condemned the Friday judgment by the Federal High Court in Ibadan, describing it as a “grave judicial misadventure” that intrudes into the party’s internal affairs and undermines its constitutional supremacy.
In a statement issued on Friday, January 30, 2026, and signed by Hon. (Engr.) Clement O. Faboyede, Chairman of the PDP National Ex-Officios Forum, and Hon. Comfort Audu Yassan, Secretary, the forum expressed “profound displeasure, unequivocal disapproval, and categorical rejection” of the court’s decision, which declined to grant an Order of Mandamus sought by the party.
The forum, acting “unanimously, conscientiously, and in resolute defence of party sovereignty, constitutionalism, and democratic propriety,” argued that the ruling “offends settled principles of law, equity, justice, and internal party democracy, while standing in direct contradiction to the supremacy of the PDP Constitution.”
The statement highlighted the forum’s concern that the judgment is “technically ineffectual, legally otiose, and at best academic,” particularly since the core issues are already under review by the Court of Appeal.
“The Forum notes, with utmost concern, that the judgment is technically ineffectual, legally otiose, and at best academic, given that the central and foundational issues arising therefrom are already properly submitted before the Court of Appeal for authoritative determination,” the release stated.
Further criticizing the court’s approach, the forum pointed out what it sees as procedural overreach: “It is particularly troubling that the Court, having declined the Order of Mandamus on the ostensible ground that granting same would amount to sitting on appeal over decisions of courts of coordinate jurisdiction, nonetheless proceeded — suo motu — to grant reliefs that were neither sought, prayed for, nor canvassed by any of the parties before it. This action represents a clear departure from established judicial restraint and procedural propriety, and raises serious questions regarding the limits of judicial intervention.”
The forum reaffirmed the legitimacy of the current PDP leadership, noting that the party has filed a Notice of Appeal and a Motion for Stay of Execution. “By operation of law, these processes place the judgment of the Federal High Court, Ibadan in abeyance and preserve the status quo ante,” the statement explained. As a result, “the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki–led National Working Committee, duly elected at the Ibadan National Convention, remains legally constituted, validly recognized, and firmly in control of the affairs of the Party.”
Condemning the ruling’s implications, the forum described it as “fundamentally flawed, prejudicial, and inimical to the collective will and democratic mandate of the Party’s membership,” labeling it “a direct affront to the supremacy of the PDP Constitution and an assault on the expressed sovereignty of its organs.”
In a call to action, the National Ex-Officios Forum urged “all party loyalists, stakeholders, and members across the Federation to remain calm, vigilant, and steadfast, and to wholly disregard the ruling of the Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan.” It also reaffirmed its “total, resolute, and unalloyed support for Ambassador Kabiru Tanimu Turaki and the National Working Committee, whom it recognizes, without equivocation, as the legitimate and lawful leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party.”
The PDP, according to the forum, “remains unwavering in its commitment to constitutionalism, internal democracy, and the rule of law, and shall continue to deploy all lawful means to safeguard its institutional integrity against any action, overt or covert, capable of undermining its cohesion, stability, and democratic foundations.”
