Why PDP Powerbrokers Are Taking INEC To Court — The Details Emerge

The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Adolphus Wabara, has instituted legal action against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking official recognition of the party’s Interim National Working Committee (iNWC).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, was submitted on June 4.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to compel INEC to amend its records and publish the names of the interim National Working Committee members on its official website, as submitted by the PDP BoT and the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

Those involved in the suit include Wabara, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, Jerry Gana, Olabode George, Maryam Ciroma, Zainab Maina, and Esther Uduehi, with INEC listed as the sole defendant.

The legal action follows the Court of Appeal’s recent decision, which set aside portions of a Federal High Court ruling in Ibadan that had recognised a factional caretaker committee within the PDP. In its unanimous judgment delivered on June 3, the appellate court held that the lower court granted reliefs that were not originally sought by the parties.

The plaintiffs are seeking declarations that INEC is obligated to comply with valid court judgments relating to the PDP leadership dispute. They are also requesting an order directing the commission to accept and act on official communications, notices, and correspondence from the interim NWC constituted by the BoT and NEC.

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

He further explained that subsequent court rulings upheld the suspensions and nullified the PDP national convention held in November 2025.

According to him, these judgments created vacancies within the party’s leadership structure, leading the BoT to establish an interim NWC pending the conduct of a valid national convention.

Aliyu added that the composition of the interim committee, along with portfolio assignments, was formally communicated to INEC in May 2026.

He alleged, however, that the electoral commission had failed to update its records or recognise the interim leadership despite receiving the correspondence.

The plaintiffs are now urging the court to compel INEC to officially recognise the interim structure.

As of the time of filing this report, the case had not yet been assigned to a judge.