The Senator Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party has filed a fresh suit against the Independent National Electoral Commission, seeking recognition of the Tanimu Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee of the party.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, the BoT and the PDP are asking the Federal High Court in Abuja to compel INEC to update its records and publish on its official website the names of the party’s Interim NWC as forwarded to the commission by the plaintiffs and the party’s National Executive Committee.
The plaintiffs said the names of members of the Turaki-led Interim NWC were forwarded to INEC through letters dated May 4.
The originating summons was filed on June 4 by a team of lawyers led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN.
Listed as plaintiffs 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, Chief Olabode George.
Others are former Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Maryam Ciroma; former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina; BoT and NEC member, Dame Esther Uduehi; and the PDP.
INEC is the sole defendant in the suit.
The fresh action comes shortly after the Court of Appeal in Abuja, on June 3, set aside key aspects of a judgment of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, which had recognised a factional caretaker committee in the PDP.
The appellate court held that the trial court granted reliefs that were not sought by any of the parties before it.
In a unanimous judgment, Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam faulted Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, for going beyond the issues placed before the court in the PDP leadership dispute.
Justice Agomoh had, in a judgment delivered on January 30, recognised the caretaker committee led by Abdurahman Mohammed and Samuel Anyanwu, aligned with the camp of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as the legitimate leadership faction of the party.
However, the Court of Appeal held that none of the parties before the lower court had sought such a declaration.
In the fresh suit, the Wabara-led BoT is seeking a declaration that INEC is constitutionally bound to enforce and give full effect to the decision of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, in Suit No. CV/1050/2025 between Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Ambassador Umar Damagun and eight others, delivered on January 12.
They are asking the court to direct INEC to accept and act on all official correspondences, communications, notices and engagements concerning the PDP from the Interim NWC forwarded to it by the BoT and NEC.
They are asking the court to direct INEC to accept and act on all official correspondences, communications, notices and engagements concerning the PDP from the Interim NWC forwarded to it by the BoT and NEC.
The plaintiffs are also seeking an order compelling INEC to direct all communications relating to the party to the Interim NWC whose names were forwarded through the May 4 letters.
In the affidavit supporting the originating summons, deposed to by former Governor Aliyu, the plaintiffs stated that on November 1, 2025, some key officers of the PDP, including Senator Anyanwu, Hon. Umar Bature, Adeyemi Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN, and Barr. Okechukwu Osuoha, were suspended by a resolution of the NWC for alleged gross misconduct, anti-party activities and insubordination.
Aliyu said the suspension was approved at the 608th meeting of the NWC held on November 1, 2025, and that the affected officers were referred to the National Disciplinary Committee for further action.
He alleged that the suspended officers refused to submit themselves to the party’s disciplinary process and continued to act as officers of the party despite the absence of any resolution lifting their suspension.
He further stated that Anyanwu had earlier been recommended for expulsion from the PDP in a report dated March 10, 2025, submitted by the National Disciplinary Committee, and that the recommendation was upheld at the NWC meeting of November 1, 2025.