A Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a suit seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise and publish the Kabiru Turaki-led interim National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Justice Salim Ibrahim, in his ruling on Friday, held that the plaintiffs, led by PDP Board of Trustees Chairman Senator Adolphus Wabara, lacked the legal standing to institute the suit and consequently struck it out for want of jurisdiction.
The court upheld the preliminary objection filed by INEC and sustained similar objections raised by parties seeking to be joined in the suit. Justice Ibrahim ruled that the plaintiffs failed to establish that INEC had recognised the purported interim NWC or that they had the authority to sue on behalf of the PDP.
The suit is the latest in a series of legal battles surrounding the leadership of the PDP. The party’s national convention, held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, 2025, produced Tanimu Turaki (SAN) as National Chairman alongside other national officers.
However, the convention has been mired in legal challenges. The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has reserved judgment in nine appeals filed by rival factions challenging Federal High Court decisions that halted the convention. The appellate court fixed judgment for a date to be communicated to the parties after counsel adopted all written processes in the appeals.
Justice Ibrahim’s decision to strike out the suit rests on the plaintiffs’ inability to demonstrate legal standingโthe right to bring the action before the court. The judge found that Wabara and the other plaintiffs could not show that INEC had officially recognised the interim NWC led by Turaki, nor could they establish their authority to sue on behalf of the PDP as a party.
The ruling represents a setback for the Turaki-led faction, at least in their bid to secure court-ordered recognition from INEC. However, the broader leadership dispute remains unresolved, with appeals pending before the Court of Appeal.
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