An Abuja division of the Federal High Court has chosen July 7 to commence full consideration of the legal challenge brought by the factional Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), headed by former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The date was fixed by Justice Salim Ibrahim, who instructed every party involved in the matter to complete all remaining legal filings and ensure service of documents no later than July 6. He further directed that all pending motions and the principal action should be addressed simultaneously and made it clear that further postponements would not be accepted.
The court had previously accelerated proceedings after counsel representing the applicants, Gordy Uche, argued that developments surrounding the matter were tied to timelines connected with preparations for the 2027 electoral process. He informed the court that INEC’s revised schedule created urgency because the relevant deadline falls on July 17.
Through the action, the claimants want the electoral commission compelled to officially recognise the interim National Working Committee (NWC) headed by Kabir Turaki and display that leadership structure on its official platform. They also requested that the commission revise its records in accordance with notifications submitted by the party leadership and Board of Trustees during May.
The action, instituted on June 4 under suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, was initiated by eight parties, among them Wabara, former Niger governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu, ex-information minister Jerry Gana, party stakeholder Olabode George, former ministers Maryam Ciroma and Zainab Maina, Dame Esther Uduehi and the PDP.
At the most recent sitting, Turaki and Gana attended proceedings. Uche represented the applicants, while Sunday Ameh appeared for the party. Lawyers appearing for INEC and interested parties seeking inclusion in the case did not challenge the request that all pending applications be taken together.
The dispute originates from prolonged internal disagreements over control of the opposition party.
Court records presented by Aliyu stated that the PDP leadership suspended four officials in late 2025 over alleged misconduct and activities considered harmful to the organisation. Among those affected was Samuel Anyanwu, whose eventual removal followed recommendations from the party’s disciplinary mechanisms.
Subsequent attempts to overturn those decisions through litigation did not succeed.
Complications increased after the party’s national convention conducted in November 2025 was invalidated by appellate decisions later upheld at the Supreme Court, creating uncertainty around the party’s administrative structure.
Following those developments, the BoT said it constituted an interim leadership arrangement and formally informed INEC through official correspondence.
The applicants argued that despite receiving those communications and subsequent reminders, the commission had not updated its records accordingly.
Separately, the Court of Appeal also reversed portions of an earlier ruling that recognised another caretaker leadership bloc, holding that the lower court exceeded the requests placed before it.
The suit will return on July 7 for determination of every pending issue and the substantive matter.
