Wabara, Babangida, Jerry Gana, Bode George, PDP BoT Drags INEC To Court

The Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Adolphus Wabara, has filed a suit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking recognition of the party’s interim National Working Committee (iNWC).

Naija News reports that the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, was filed on June 4 at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to compel INEC to update its records and publish on its official website the names of interim NWC members forwarded to it by the PDP BoT and National Executive Committee.

The plaintiffs include Wabara, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, Jerry Gana, Olabode George, Maryam Ciroma, Zainab Maina and Esther Uduehi.

INEC is the sole defendant in the matter.

The legal action comes days after the Court of Appeal set aside key parts of a Federal High Court judgment delivered in Ibadan, which had recognised a factional caretaker committee within the PDP.

The appellate court, in a unanimous judgment delivered on June 3, held that the trial court granted reliefs that were not sought by the parties.

The plaintiffs are seeking declarations that INEC is bound to give effect to valid court judgments relating to the PDP leadership dispute.

They are also asking the court to direct INEC to accept and act on official communications, notices and engagements from the interim NWC constituted by the BoT and NEC.

In an affidavit supporting the suit, former Niger State Governor, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, said some party officials, including former National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, were suspended in November 2025 over alleged misconduct, anti-party activities and insubordination.

He said subsequent court decisions upheld the suspensions and nullified the PDP national convention held in November 2025.

According to him, the judgments created vacancies in the party’s leadership structure, prompting the BoT to constitute an interim NWC pending a valid national convention.

Aliyu said details of the interim NWC and portfolio assignments were communicated to INEC in May 2026.

He alleged that the commission had failed to update its records or recognise the interim committee despite receiving the letters.

The plaintiffs are now asking the court to compel INEC to recognise the interim leadership structure.

The suit had yet to be assigned to a judge as of the time of filing this report.