Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled July 7 to hear a suit filed by the Board of Trustees, BoT of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led by former President of the Senate, Adolphus Wabara, against the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC over the party’s leadership dispute.
Justice Salim Ibrahim fixed the date after parties agreed to conclude the filing and exchange of all court processes by July 6.
The court also ruled that all pending applications, including requests by interested parties seeking to join the suit, would be heard alongside the substantive case.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to compel INEC to officially recognise the interim National Working Committee headed by Kabir Turaki and update the commission’s records accordingly.
Counsel for the plaintiffs argued that the matter is urgent because of INEC’s timetable for the 2027 general election, particularly the deadline for submission of candidates’ names.
He urged the court to fast-track proceedings so that the faction can gain access to the electoral commission’s nomination portal.
The suit stems from PDP’s prolonged internal leadership crisis, with the Wabara-led BoT insisting that previous judgements of the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court invalidated rival leadership structures and affirmed the suspension or expulsion of certain party officials.
The plaintiffs maintain that INEC has failed to comply with those court decisions by retaining names of suspended party members in its official records.
They argue that only judicial intervention can compel the commission to recognise the interim leadership pending a valid national convention.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
