PDP: Court slates July 7 for hearing in Wabara, others’ suit against INEC

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday slated 7 July for the definite hearing of a suit filed by the Sen. Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees (BoT) against the Kabir Turaki-led leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Justice Salim Ibrahim, who fixed the date to allow all parties to file and respond to processes served on them, held that all pending applications and the substantive suit would be heard together on the next adjourned date.

The judge also ordered all the parties to file and serve their processes, as agreed, by Monday, 6 July.

Justice Ibrahim, who stated that the court would not entertain any further delay in the proceedings on the next adjourned date, said it would hear all applications, including the substantive suit, on 7 July.

The court had, on 19 June, ordered an accelerated hearing in the case after counsel to the plaintiffs, Chief Gordy Uche, SAN, informed the court that the suit was time-bound, based on INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections, which gave 17 July as the deadline.

Members of the Wabara-led BoT and the PDP filed the suit seeking an order compelling INEC to recognise the Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee (NWC) of the party on its official website.

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 the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

They said the names of members of the Kabir Turaki-led NWC were forwarded to INEC in a letter dated 4 May.

The originating summons, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, was filed on 4 June by a team of lawyers led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN. The BoT members, who are plaintiffs in the suit, are former Senate President Adolphus Wabara; BoT Secretary and former Niger State Governor, Muazu Babangida Aliyu; former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana; and PDP chieftain, Olabode George, as the 1st to 4th plaintiffs.

Others include former Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Maryam Ciroma; another former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina; BoT and NEC member, Dame Esther Uduehi; and the PDP as the 5th to 8th plaintiffs respectively.

They sued INEC as the sole defendant.

At Tuesday’s proceedings, Gordy Uche, SAN, announced his appearance for all the plaintiffs, while Mr Sunday Ameh, SAN, announced his appearance for the 8th plaintiff/applicant (PDP).

Addressing the court, Uche said that, on the last adjourned date, he was ready for the hearing of the matter when he was confronted with applications by parties seeking to be joined in the suit. He told the court that he had responded to the applications accordingly and was ready for the hearing of the substantive suit.

Uche, therefore, applied that all the applications, including the substantive suit, be heard together, with the court delivering its rulings and judgment at the same time to save judicial time and enable his clients to comply with INEC’s timetable for the submission of candidates’ names for the 2027 elections.

The lawyer said the commission had reiterated that “11 July for the submission of names of candidates is sacrosanct. They said the submission started yesterday and parties have been given access codes, and we also need the access code too,” Uche said, urging the court to grant his application and appealing to counsel for the other parties to support the request.

Ameh, who also appeared for the 8th plaintiff; O. A. Adeyemi, counsel for INEC; Chief Fedinard Orbih, SAN, who represented parties seeking to be joined as the 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants; and Adedayo Adedeji, SAN, who also appeared for applicants seeking to be joined as defendants, did not oppose Uche’s application.

Justice Ibrahim consequently adjourned the matter until 7 July for the hearing of all applications and the substantive suit.