Court dismisses suit seeking INEC recognition of Turaki-led PDP interim NWC

A Federal High Court sitting 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, Justice Salim Ibrahim held 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 National Working Committee or that they possessed the authority to institute the suit on behalf of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Members of the Wabara-led Board of Trustees had approached the court seeking an order compelling INEC to update its records and recognise the factional interim NWC headed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kabiru Turaki.

They also sought an order directing the electoral commission to publish the names of the interim executives on its official website.

The plaintiffs argued that the names of members of the Turaki-led leadership were forwarded to INEC through letters dated May 4, maintaining that the electoral commission was constitutionally obligated to recognise the interim executives.

Other plaintiffs in the suit included former Niger State Governor, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, Prof. Jerry Gana, Chief Olabode George, Hajiya Maryam Ciroma, Hajiya Zainab Maina, Dame Esther Uduehi and the Peoples Democratic Party.

INEC was listed as the sole defendant in the suit, which was filed on June 4 by a legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chris Uche.

However, a faction of the PDP aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, challenged the competence of the suit and sought to be joined in the proceedings.

The faction, led by its National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, insisted that it represented the authentic leadership of the party and argued that the plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to institute the action.

In a ruling delivered before the substantive judgment, Justice Ibrahim granted the applications for joinder, holding that the interests of the applicants would be directly affected by the outcome of the case.

The court subsequently upheld all preliminary objections and struck out the suit, describing it as an abuse of court process.

Justice Ibrahim ruled that the plaintiffs were attempting to relitigate issues that had already been determined by competent courts.

He also struck out the name of the PDP from the suit, holding that the plaintiffs lacked the party’s authorisation to institute legal proceedings in its name.

According to the judge, the reliefs sought would undermine existing court judgments.

He further held that the case had become academic, noting that evidence before the court showed that the PDP convention which produced the Mohammed-led executives was duly monitored by INEC.

“The court does not decide hypothetical or academic questions,” Justice Ibrahim held.

The judge also ruled that the action was incompetent because it was commenced through an Originating Summons despite the highly contentious nature of the dispute.

In addition, the court took judicial notice of existing judgments which nullified the PDP convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, from which the Kabiru Turaki-led executives emerged.

Justice Ibrahim consequently dismissed the suit and invoked the provisions of Section 83(6)(b) of the Electoral Act 2026 to award costs against the plaintiffs.

The court ordered the plaintiffs to pay ₦70 million to the first to seventh defendants, while directing the plaintiffs’ counsel to personally pay an additional ₦10 million.

According to the court, the cost award was intended to discourage the institution of frivolous pre-election litigation.

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