BREAKING: COURT STRIKES OUT SUIT SEEKING INEC RECOGNITION OF TURAKI-LED PDP LEADERSHIP

COURT STRIKES OUT SUIT SEEKING INEC RECOGNITION OF TURAKI-LED PDP LEADERSHIP

A Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a suit seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise and publish the names of the Kabiru Turaki-led interim National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Salim Ibrahim ruled that the plaintiffs, led by the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, lacked the legal standing to institute the action. The court consequently struck out the suit for want of jurisdiction.

Justice Ibrahim upheld the preliminary objection filed by INEC and sustained similar objections raised by parties that sought to be joined in the matter. The court held that the plaintiffs failed to establish that INEC had recognised the purported interim NWC or that they had the authority to institute the suit on behalf of the PDP.

The plaintiffs, members of the Wabara-led Board of Trustees, had asked the court to direct INEC to update its records and recognise the Kabiru Turaki (SAN)-led interim leadership of the party. They also sought an order compelling the electoral commission to publish the names of the interim executives on its official website.

According to the plaintiffs, the names of the Turaki-led executives were forwarded to INEC through letters dated May 4. They argued that both the Nigerian Constitution and the PDP Constitution required the electoral commission to recognise and act on correspondence from the interim leadership.

Those listed as plaintiffs included former Niger State Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu, Prof. Jerry Gana, Chief Olabode George, Hajiya Maryam Ciroma, Hajiya Zainab Maina, Dame Esther Uduehi and the PDP. INEC was named as the sole defendant in the suit, which was filed on June 4 through a legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chris Uche.

During the proceedings, a faction of the PDP aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, challenged the court's jurisdiction and applied to be joined in the case. The group, led by its National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, maintained that it represented the party's authentic leadership and argued that the plaintiffs lacked the legal capacity to institute the suit.

Justice Ibrahim granted the joinder applications before delivering the substantive judgment, holding that the outcome of the case would affect the interests of the applicants.

The court subsequently upheld all preliminary objections, describing the suit as an abuse of court process. It held that the plaintiffs were attempting to relitigate issues that had already been determined by other courts.

The judge also struck out the PDP's name from the suit, ruling that the plaintiffs lacked the party's authorisation to institute legal action in its name.

According to the court, the reliefs sought would undermine existing judicial decisions. Justice Ibrahim further held that the matter had become academic, noting that evidence before the court showed that the PDP convention which produced the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led executives was duly monitored by INEC.

"The court does not decide hypothetical or academic questions," the judge stated.

Justice Ibrahim also ruled that the suit was incompetent because it was commenced through an Originating Summons despite the contentious nature of the dispute.

The court further took judicial notice of previous judgments that nullified the PDP convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, which produced the Turaki-led executives.

Consequently, the court dismissed the suit and invoked Section 83(6)(b) of the Electoral Act 2026 to award costs of ₦70 million against the plaintiffs in favour of the first to seventh defendants. The plaintiffs' counsel was also ordered to personally pay ₦10 million.

Justice Ibrahim stated that the award of costs was intended to discourage the filing of frivolous pre-election cases.