Political Tension Mounts As Court Prepares Verdict On PDP Leadership Crisis

The Federal High Court in Abuja will on Friday deliver judgment in the suit filed by the Senator Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the party’s lingering leadership dispute.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Justice Salim Ibrahim is scheduled to deliver the judgment at 4 p.m., with hearing notices already issued to all parties involved in the case.

The court had reserved judgment on July 7 after counsel representing the various parties adopted their written addresses and presented arguments for and against the suit.

At the conclusion of proceedings, Justice Ibrahim informed counsel that the judgment date would be communicated at least 24 hours before its delivery.

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

The plaintiffs are seeking an order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Turaki-led interim NWC and update its official records accordingly.

They are also asking the court to direct INEC to publish the names of the interim executives, which they said were forwarded to the commission by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) 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, Gana Among Plaintiffs

The plaintiffs include former Senate President Adolphus Wabara; former Niger State Governor and BoT Secretary, Muazu Babangida Aliyu; former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana; PDP chieftain Olabode George; former Minister of Women Affairs, Maryam Ciroma; former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Zainab Maina; BoT and NEC member Esther Uduehi; and the PDP.

INEC is the sole defendant in the suit.

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

At the last hearing, Chris Uche (SAN) announced his appearance for the eight plaintiffs, while Sunday Ameh (SAN) represented the PDP, which is listed as the eighth plaintiff.

The Wike-backed leadership, led by National Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed, National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu and National Legal Adviser Kamardeen Ajibade, sought to be joined in the case as additional defendants through their counsel, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN).

Joseph Daudu (SAN) also appeared for former Imo PDP Chairman Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah and George Turner, who similarly applied to be joined in the suit.

The applicants urged the court to dismiss the action.

Ameh argued that the PDP did not authorise Uche to institute the suit on the party’s behalf, adding that his clients had filed a notice of change of counsel and an application seeking the removal of the PDP’s name from the case.

According to him, the court’s decision on the application would determine whether the party was properly joined as a plaintiff.

Uche opposed the applications, describing them as frivolous and lacking merit, and urged the court to dismiss both the request for a change of counsel and the application seeking to strike out the PDP from the suit.

The plaintiffs also argued that the matter required urgent determination in view of INEC’s revised timetable for the 2027 general elections.

According to them, the electoral commission fixed July 17 as the deadline for political parties to upload the names of their candidates.

INEC and the parties opposing the suit filed preliminary objections and counter-affidavits, urging the court to dismiss the case.

Friday’s judgment is expected to determine whether INEC will be compelled to recognise and publish the names of the Turaki-led interim National Working Committee or uphold the objections raised by the Wike-aligned faction.