Court to deliver judgment in Turaki-led PDP suit against INEC, others

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Turaki

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The Federal High Court in Abuja will on Friday deliver judgment in a suit filed by Sen. Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to the leadership of Mr Kabir Turaki, SAN.

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The judgment, which is before Justice Salim Ibrahim, will be delivered at 4 p.m.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that hearing notices have been sent to parties in the leadership crisis suit.

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Justice Ibrahim had, on July 7, reserved judgment in the matter after counsel to the parties adopted their processes and presented their arguments for and against the suit.

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The judge had said that the judgment date would be communicated to the parties 24 hours in advance.

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NAN reports that members of the Wabara-led BoT had filed the fresh suit.

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They are seeking an order of the court compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the PDP interim National Working Committee’s faction led by Turaki on its official website.

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The plaintiffs also sought an order directing the electoral umpire to forthwith update its records and publish on its official website the interim NWC of the party as forwarded to it by the plaintiffs and its National Executive Committee (NEC).

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They said the names of members of the Turaki-led NWC were forwarded to the electoral umpire via their letters dated May 4.

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NAN reports that the originating summons, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, was filed on June 4 by a team of lawyers led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN.

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The BoT members, who are plaintiffs in the suit, are ex-Senate President Adolphus Wabara; BoT Secretary, former Gov. Muazu Babangida Aliyu of Niger; ex-Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana and PDP chieftain, Olabode George, as 1st to 4th plaintiffs.

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Others are former Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Maryam Ciroma; also an ex-Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina; member of BoT and NEC, Dame Esther Uduehi and PDP as 5th to 8th plaintiffs respectively.

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They sued INEC as the sole defendant in the suit.

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But the PDP faction, loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, approached the court and challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the suit.

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On the last adjourned date, although Uche announced appearance for the first to eighth plaintiffs, another lawyer, Sunday Ameh, SAN, who came from Wike’s camp, also announced his representation for the eighth plaintiff (PDP).

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The Wike-backed PDP executive led by the National Chairman, Alhaji Abdulrahman Mohammed; Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, National Secretary and Kamardeen Ajibade, National Legal Adviser, all sought to be joined in the suit as 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants respectively.

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They were represented in court by Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, while Joseph Daudu, SAN, appeared for Austin Nwachukwu, former Imo PDP chairman; Abraham Amah and George Turner, who sought to join the suit as fifth to seventh defendants.

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They prayed the court to dismiss the suit in its entirety.

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The plaintiffs’ counsel had informed the court that the suit is time-bound based on INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections which gave July 17 as ultimatum for uploading of candidates’ names for the 2027 general elections.

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All the defendants, including INEC, filed preliminary objections and counter affidavits, praying the court to dismiss the case in its entirety.

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Ameh, who also appeared for the 8th plaintiff (PDP), said they were contesting the presence of PDP as a plaintiff before the court because the party did not authorise Uche to file the suit.

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He said it was against the development that they filed a notice of change of counsel and a motion seeking an order striking out the PDP (8th plaintiff)’s name from the suit.

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He said the ruling of the court would determine whether the PDP’s name ought to be in the suit or not.

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Adopting his processes, Ameh said he filed a motion for change of counsel and a motion on notice seeking the striking out of the name of the 8th plaintiff from the suit.

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Responding, Uche opposed Ameh’s application.

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The lawyer prayed the court to dismiss the application as being misconceived and frivolous.

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He also urged the court to dismiss the application for a change of counsel.

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NAN reports that issues of joinder, preliminary objections and the substantive suit were all heard before the judge reserved judgment and ruling on the main suit and pending applications.

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(NAN)

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