Federal High Court dismisses suit seeking INEC’s recognition of the Kabir Tanimu Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee of the PDP, describing the action as lacking merit.
Justice Salim Ibrahim upholds the Abdulrahman Mohammed and Senator Samuel Anyanwu-led National Working Committee currently recognised by INEC.
Court strikes out the PDP as a plaintiff after ruling the suit was not authorised by the party and grants applications by members of the rival faction to join the proceedings.
Judgment reinforces INEC’s recognition of the Wike-backed PDP leadership ahead of the 2027 general election and ends a major round of the party’s leadership litigation at the Federal High Court.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to force the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to officially recognize an interim national executive of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabir Tanimu Turaki, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. The ruling, delivered on Friday, July 17, 2026, by Justice Salim Ibrahim, effectively upholds the party leadership currently acknowledged by INEC, which is headed by National Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed and National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
The case, designated FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, was brought by prominent members of the PDP’s Board of Trustees (BoT), including its Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, former Niger State Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, Professor Jerry Gana, Chief Olabode George, Hajiya Maryam Ciroma, Hajiya Zainab Maina, Dame Esther Uduehi, and Kabir Turaki himself. The plaintiffs argued that following a Supreme Court judgment in April 2026—which nullified the party’s national convention held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, 2025—the BoT had the authority to constitute an interim leadership. They claimed that the names of this Turaki-led interim National Working Committee were forwarded to INEC via a letter dated May 4, 2026, but that the commission failed to upload them on its official website. The plaintiffs contended that INEC’s continued recognition of the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led faction was unlawful and sought a court order compelling the commission to update its records.
Faction Loyal to Wike Challenges the Suit
The legal action faced strong opposition from a faction of the PDP aligned with Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. This faction applied to be joined in the proceedings. The Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Working Committee argued that the leadership dispute was an internal party matter and that the Supreme Court had already settled the issue. The defendants also challenged the legal standing of the plaintiffs, asserting that they lacked the locus standi to bring the case and that the suit was an attempt to relitigate matters already decided by competent courts.
PDP Struck Out as a Plaintiff
A significant procedural development occurred when the court addressed the inclusion of the Peoples Democratic Party itself as one of the plaintiffs. Counsel for the Wike-backed leadership argued that the party had never authorized the lawsuit. Justice Ibrahim agreed, striking out the PDP as a plaintiff on the grounds that the action was not instituted with the party’s authorization. The court also granted applications from Abdulrahman Mohammed, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, National Legal Adviser Adeyemi Ajibade, Imo PDP Chairman Austin Nwachukwu, George Turnah, and Abraham Amah to be joined as defendants before ruling on the core issues.
Court’s Final Ruling
In dismissing the suit, Justice Ibrahim held that the plaintiffs had failed to establish sufficient grounds to warrant the relief they sought against INEC. The court refused to compel the electoral commission to recognize the Turaki-led interim committee, leaving INEC’s existing recognition of the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Working Committee intact. This judgment, at the Federal High Court level, closes one of the most significant legal battles arising from the PDP’s prolonged leadership crisis, with implications for the party’s structure ahead of the 2027 general election.
