A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday struck out a suit seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise and publish the Kabiru Turaki-led interim National Working Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ruling that the plaintiffs lacked the legal standing to institute the action.
Justice Salim Ibrahim held that the suit, filed by the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Adolphus Wabara, alongside other BoT members and party stakeholders, was incompetent and deprived the court of jurisdiction.
The judge also upheld preliminary objections raised by INEC and members of the Wike-backed PDP leadership, who had sought to be joined in the proceedings, before striking out the case.
The ruling also casts doubt on the political future decisions taken by the Turaki-led faction, including its nomination of former President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
In May, the Turaki-led PDP faction announced Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election after his candidacy was ratified at a special national convention held at the party’s office in Area 10, Garki district, Abuja.
The plaintiffs in the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, are Wabara, former senate president; Muazu Babangida Aliyu, former governor of Niger state; Jerry Gana, former minister of information; and Olabode George, ex-deputy national chairman of the PDP.
Others are Maryam Ciroma, former minister of women affairs; Zainab Maina, former minister of women affairs and social development; Dame Esther Uduehi, a member of PDP BoT; as well as the PDP itself.
INEC was the sole defendant in the case.
The plaintiffs sought an order directing INEC to publish on its official website the composition of the party’s interim NWC led by Turaki, as forwarded to it by the national executive committee (NEC).
They asked the court to determine whether, by virtue of the provisions of Article 32 of the PDP constitution, INEC was not obligated to recognise to the interim NWC as forwarded by the NEC.
The plaintiffs also urged the court to determine whether, by virtue of the provisions of section 287(1), (2) and (3) of the 1999 Constitution, INEC was not bound to give effect to various courts’ judgements relating to the leadership crisis rocking the PDP.
However, the PDP faction loyal to Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), applied to join the suit and challenge the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the case.
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The Wike-backed PDP faction argued that the court lacked the jurisdiction to grant the plaintiffs’ reliefs, contending that they lacked the legal standing to institute the action.
The faction also told the court that it is the authentic leadership of the PDP, having been elected at the party’s March 2026 national convention.
However, the plaintiffs opposed the joinder applications, arguing that they were filed by persons whose expulsion from the party had been upheld by the courts.
INEC and the Wike-backed faction filed preliminary objections asking the court to dismiss the suit.
Meanwhile, INEC’s website listed Abdulrahman Mohammed as the PDP national chairman, alongside other party officials backed by Wike.
In his ruling, the judge held that the joinder applications were meritorious, as the applicant’s interests would be affected by the outcome of the suit.
Ibrahim held that the plaintiffs were attempting to use the suit to resurrect issues that had already been determined by various courts.
The judge also held that the evidence before the court established that the plaintiffs lacked the authority to institute the action in the name of the party.
He said the suit had become a mere academic exercise, as there was evidence that the PDP convention which produced the Mohammed-led executives was duly monitored by INEC.
The judge granted the joinder applications filed by the Wike-backed PDP faction and struck out PDP as the eighth plaintiff.
The presiding judge upheld the preliminary objections and struck out the suit for lack of jurisdiction.
Citing provisions of section 83(6)(b) of the Electoral Act 2026, the judge imposed a cost of N70 million against the plaintiffs in favour of the first to seventh defendants.
He also ordered the plaintiffs’ counsel to personally pay a cost of N10 million.
