The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by the Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the faction led by Kabir Turaki, SAN.
Justice Salim Ibrahim, in a judgment delivered on Friday, described the case as an abuse of court process, unmeritorious, and lacking in merit.
The court held that the plaintiffs failed to establish sufficient grounds for the reliefs sought.
The judge also upheld INEC’s preliminary objection, ruling that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
The judgment effectively affirmed the leadership structure of the Mohammed Abdulrahman-led PDP faction, which is associated with the political camp of Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Justice Ibrahim further struck out the PDP as the eighth plaintiff in the suit, agreeing with arguments that the individuals who filed the case lacked the authority to represent the party in the matter.
The Wabara-led BoT members had approached the court seeking an order directing INEC to recognise the interim National Working Committee (NWC) led by Turaki and update its official records accordingly.
They argued that the names of members of the Turaki-led NWC had been submitted to INEC through 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 included former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, former Niger State Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu, former Information Minister Jerry Gana, PDP chieftain Olabode George, former Minister of Women Affairs Maryam Ciroma, former Minister Zainab Maina, and BoT member Esther Uduehi.
The Abdulrahman-led faction had challenged the suit, arguing that the plaintiffs lacked the legal authority to institute the action on behalf of the PDP and that the court lacked jurisdiction to determine the matter.
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