Justice Salim Ibrahim of the Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned till Friday, July 10, to deliver judgement in the suit over which faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should be recognised as legitimate by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The case involves a faction led by Senator Adolphus Wabara, Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, which is challenging INEC's refusal to upload the names of the Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee onto its website for the 2027 general election. The plaintiffs include Muazu Babangida Aliyu, Prof. Jerry Gana, Olabode George, Hajiya Maryam Ciroma, Hajiya Zainab Maina, Dame Esther Uduehi, and others. They argue that the Turaki-led interim committee, constituted after the Supreme Court nullified the November 2025 PDP national convention in Ibadan, should be officially recognised.
The Wike faction, aligned with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, filed preliminary objections, arguing the matter is an internal party issue and that the Supreme Court has already settled leadership questions. They point out that INEC currently recognises the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led executive, installed by the Wike faction after the expiration of the previous NWC's tenure in December. The plaintiffs counter that the dispute is between the PDP and INEC, not an internal matter, citing a previous ruling by Justice James Omotosho that allowed similar cases to proceed. Justice Ibrahim granted the Wike faction's application to join the suit and heard arguments from both sides before setting July 10 for judgement.
Separately, the Court of Appeal in Abuja adjourned the hearing of appeals by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord, and three other deregistered parties to July 14. The appellate panel, led by Justice Abba Mohammed, made the adjustment to allow parties time to regularise and serve legal processes after some received reply briefs late.
Senator Wabara is challenging INEC's recognition of a PDP leadership his own BoT once declared unconstitutional, even as the Supreme Court has already invalidated the convention that produced it. The Turaki committee was formed to manage the party pending fresh elections, yet the same BoT now demands INEC enforce its recognition. If the court rules in their favour, INEC would have to reverse its current accreditation of the Wike-aligned leadership. This creates a direct conflict between judicial outcomes and party administrative actions already accepted by the electoral body.
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