Court Rules On Turaki-Led PDP Leadership Recognition Suit Friday

The Federal High Court in Abuja will on Friday deliver judgment in a suit filed by the Senator Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the party’s leadership crisis.

Naija News reports that the judgment, to be delivered by Justice Salim Ibrahim, is scheduled for 4 pm.

Notice of hearings has been issued to the parties involved in the dispute.

Justice Ibrahim had reserved judgment on July 7 after lawyers representing the various parties adopted their written processes and presented arguments for and against the suit.

The judge had informed the parties that the judgment date would be communicated at least 24 hours before delivery.

The suit was filed by members of the Wabara-led BoT who are aligned with the interim National Working Committee (NWC) headed by Kabir Turaki (SAN).

They are asking the court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Turaki-led interim leadership on its official website.

The plaintiffs also want the electoral commission to order the update of its records and publish the names of the interim NWC members forwarded to it by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

According to them, the names of the Turaki-led executives were transmitted to INEC through letters dated May 4.

The originating summons, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, was filed on June 4 by a legal team led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN.

Wabara, Aliyu, George Among Plaintiffs

The plaintiffs include former Senate President Adolphus Wabara; BoT Secretary and former Niger State governor, Muazu Babangida Aliyu; former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana; and PDP chieftain, Olabode George.

Others are former Minister of Women Affairs, Maryam Ciroma; another former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Zainab Maina; BoT and NEC member, Esther Uduehi; and the PDP.

INEC was listed as the sole defendant in the suit.

The faction of the party aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, however, challenged the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the case.

At the previous sitting, Uche announced appearance for the eight plaintiffs, while Sunday Ameh (SAN), also appeared on behalf of the PDP, which was listed as the eighth plaintiff.

The Wike-backed executive, led by National Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed, National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu and National Legal Adviser Kamardeen Ajibade, applied to be joined as additional defendants.

They were represented by Emmanuel Ukala (SAN).

Joseph Daudu (SAN), appeared for former Imo PDP chairman Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah and George Turner, who also sought to be joined.

The applicants urged the court to dismiss the suit in its entirety. Ameh argued that the PDP did not authorise Uche to file the action in its name.

He said his clients filed a notice of change of counsel and an application asking the court to remove the PDP’s name from the suit.

According to him, the court’s ruling would determine whether the party was properly joined as a plaintiff. Ameh adopted the applications seeking a change of counsel and the striking out of the PDP from the case.

Uche opposed the requests, describing them as misconceived and frivolous. He urged the court to dismiss both the application for a change of counsel and the request to remove the party’s name.

The plaintiffs told the court that the matter was time-sensitive because of INEC’s revised timetable for the 2027 general elections.

They said the commission had fixed July 17 as the deadline for political parties to upload the names of their candidates.

INEC and the other parties opposing the suit filed preliminary objections and counter-affidavits, asking the court to dismiss the action.

The court’s decision on Friday is expected to determine whether INEC must recognise and publish the Turaki-led interim NWC or uphold the objections raised by the Wike-aligned faction.