The Federal High Court in Abuja will on Friday deliver judgment in a suit filed by members of the Peoples Democratic Party Board of Trustees (BoT) led by former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, who are aligned with the party’s interim National Working Committee headed by Mr Kabir Turaki (SAN).
Justice Salim Ibrahim, who is presiding over the matter, fixed the judgment for 4 p.m., with hearing notices already issued to all parties.
The court had reserved judgment on July 7 after lawyers representing the parties adopted their written submissions and argued their positions. Justice Ibrahim had indicated that the judgment date would be communicated to the parties at least 24 hours in advance.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise the Turaki-led interim National Working Committee on its official website.
They are also seeking an order directing INEC to update its records and publish the names of the interim NWC members submitted by the plaintiffs and the party’s National Executive Committee.
According to the plaintiffs, the names of the Turaki-led NWC members were forwarded to INEC in letters dated May 4.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, was filed on June 4 by a legal team led by Chief Chris Uche (SAN).
The plaintiffs include Wabara, BoT Secretary and former Niger State Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu, former Information Minister Prof. Jerry Gana, PDP chieftain Olabode George, former Women Affairs Ministers Hajiya Maryam Ciroma and Hajiya Zainab Maina, BoT and NEC member Dame Esther Uduehi, and the PDP.
INEC is the sole defendant in the suit.
However, the PDP faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, challenged the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
At the last hearing, while Uche announced his appearance for the eight plaintiffs, another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Sunday Ameh, appeared on behalf of the PDP, the eighth plaintiff, on behalf of the Wike-backed faction.
The Wike-backed PDP leadership, led by National Chairman Alhaji Abdulrahman Mohammed, National Secretary Sen. Samuel Anyanwu and National Legal Adviser Kamardeen Ajibade, also sought to be joined in the suit as the second, third and fourth defendants.
They were represented by Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), while Joseph Daudu (SAN) appeared for former Imo PDP Chairman Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah and George Turner, who sought to join the suit as the fifth to seventh defendants.
The applicants urged the court to dismiss the suit in its entirety.
Counsel to the plaintiffs argued that the matter was time-sensitive in view of INEC’s revised timetable for the 2027 general elections, which sets July 17 as the deadline for uploading candidates’ names.
All the defendants, including INEC, filed preliminary objections and counter-affidavits asking the court to strike out the suit.
Ameh, who also appeared for the PDP, argued that the party did not authorise Uche to institute the suit on its behalf.
He said the faction consequently filed a notice of change of counsel and a motion seeking an order to strike out the PDP’s name as the eighth plaintiff.
According to him, the court’s decision would determine whether the PDP should remain a party in the suit.
After adopting his processes, Ameh urged the court to grant the application for a change of counsel and strike out the PDP’s name from the suit.
In response, Uche opposed the application, describing it as misconceived and frivolous.
He also urged the court to reject the request for a change of counsel.
The court heard arguments on the applications for joinder, the preliminary objections and the substantive suit before reserving judgment on all pending issues.