By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed July 7 for the hearing of all pending applications and the substantive suit filed by the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara.
The suit is seeking an order to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Kabir Turaki-led interim National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
Justice Salim Ibrahim fixed the date on Tuesday, June 30, after parties agreed to file and exchange all outstanding processes before the next adjourned date.
The judge directed all parties to file and serve their processes on or before July 6 and warned that no further delay would be entertained when the matter comes up for hearing.
Recall that the court had, on June 19, ordered an accelerated hearing of the suit after counsel to the plaintiffs, Chief Gordy Uche (SAN), argued that the case was time-sensitive in view of INEC’s timetable for the 2027 general elections.
The plaintiffs, including Wabara; BoT Secretary and former Niger State Governor, Muazu Babangida Aliyu; former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana; and PDP chieftain, Olabode George, as the 1st to 4th plaintiffs, are asking the court to direct INEC to recognise the Turaki-led interim NWC and update the party’s leadership records on its official website.
They also want the commission to accept all communications from the interim leadership, which they said was forwarded to INEC through letters dated May 4.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, Uche, counsel to the plaintiffs, urged the court to hear all pending joinder applications alongside the substantive suit to save judicial time and enable his clients to comply with INEC’s electoral timetable.
He said, “The commission has reiterated that its July 11 for the submission of names of candidates is sacrosanct.
“They said the submission started yesterday and parties have been given access code and we also need the access code too.”
Uche described the request as “a passionate appeal” and urged other counsel not to oppose the application.
Counsel for the PDP, Sunday Ameh (SAN), counsel for INEC, O.A. Adeyemi, Chief Fedinard Orbih (SAN), representing parties seeking to be joined, and Adedayo Adedeji (SAN), appearing for another set of applicants, raised no objection.
Justice Ibrahim thereafter adjourned the case until July 7 for hearing of all pending applications and the substantive suit.
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Lawyers, led by Chief Chris Uche (SAN) filed the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, on June 4.
The plaintiffs are seeking declarations that INEC is constitutionally bound to give effect to judgments of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court, which they contend invalidated the PDP’s November 2025 national convention and upheld the suspension of key party officials.
In an affidavit supporting the suit, Aliyu alleged that former National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu and three other party officials were suspended by the PDP NWC on November 1, 2025, for alleged gross misconduct, anti-party activities, and insubordination.
He further claimed that subsequent decisions of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court affirmed the suspension of the affected officials and nullified the party’s November 15 and 16, 2025 national convention.
According to him, following those judgements, the PDP Board of Trustees constituted an interim National Working Committee led by Turaki, pending the conduct of a fresh national convention, and formally notified INEC of the development through letters dated May 4 and May 15.
Aliyu alleged that despite receiving the correspondence, the electoral commission failed to update its records or recognise the interim leadership.
The former governor described INEC’s refusal as “a grave affront to the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution,” urging the court to compel the commission to comply with what he described as subsisting appellate court judgements.
