The Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vowed to appeal Friday’s Federal High Court ruling that struck out their suit seeking recognition from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Justice Salim Ibrahim dismissed the suit filed by PDP Board of Trustees Chairman Senator Adolphus Wabara, alongside other party chieftains including Prof. Jerry Gana and Chief Olabode George, ruling that the plaintiffs lacked the legal standing to institute the action.
Justice Ibrahim held that the subject matter of the suit—the leadership of the PDP—constituted an internal party affair over which the court had no jurisdiction.
The judge upheld preliminary objections filed by INEC and the rival faction loyal to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, which is led by National Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed.
The court also struck out the PDP’s name as a plaintiff, agreeing that the action was not authorised by the party. Justice Ibrahim described the case as an abuse of court process, noting that the plaintiffs were attempting to relitigate issues already determined by various courts.
The suit stemmed from the Supreme Court’s April 2026 judgment, which nullified the PDP’s November 2025 national convention held in Ibadan that produced the Turaki-led executive.
The court ruled 3-2 that the convention was conducted in breach of existing court orders restraining the PDP from proceeding with the exercise unless certain conditions were met.
The Ibadan convention had been preceded by two Federal High Court judgments—delivered on October 31 and November 14, 2025—which barred INEC from validating the convention outcome.
The Court of Appeal had earlier dismissed the Turaki faction’s appeal and upheld the lower court decisions. Following the Supreme Court ruling, the Wabara-led Board of Trustees claimed the party was leaderless and assumed interim leadership, appointing a 13-member caretaker committee headed by Turaki.
They argued that the BoT constituted the interim leadership following the apex court’s decision. The plaintiffs then approached the court to compel INEC to update its records and recognise the Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee, arguing that the names of the interim officers were forwarded to INEC through a letter dated May 4, 2026.
They contended that INEC’s continued recognition of the rival leadership was unlawful. However, the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led faction, which held its own convention in Abuja on March 29-30, 2026, maintained that the dispute was an internal affair of the PDP and that issues relating to the party’s leadership had already been determined by the Supreme Court.
The faction argued that the plaintiffs lacked locus standi and were attempting to relitigate issues already decided by competent courts. Justice Ibrahim ultimately refused to compel INEC to recognise the Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee, leaving INEC’s existing recognition of the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Working Committee intact.
The judgment brings to a close, at the Federal High Court level, one of the most significant legal battles arising from the PDP’s lingering leadership crisis ahead of the 2027 general election.
Reacting to the judgment, the Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee issued a statement through its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, expressing respect for the trial court while insisting the ruling contradicted extant judgments of the Appeal and Supreme Courts.
“We are hopeful that as we climb the ladder of the law upwards, the victory of truth over lies, principles over compromise and the survival of true opposition and multi-party democracy will be assured,” the statement read.
The faction declared that its lawyers had been instructed to take immediate steps to appeal the rulings and judgment. “Though our victory may be postponed, as the struggle continues, we will eventually attain it. Aluta continua, Victoria ascerta!” the statement added.
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