By Taiye Agbaje
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday ordered accelerated hearing in a suit filed by Sen. Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Kabir Turaki faction of the PDP against Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Justice Salim Ibrahim gave the order after counsel to the plaintiffs, Chief Gordy Uche, SAN, informed the court that the suit is time bound based on INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections which gave July as ultimatum.
The News Agency of Nigeria) NAN) reports that members of the Wabara-led BoT and the PDP had filed the fresh suit seeking an order of the court compelling INEC to recognise the Turaki-led interim National Working Committee (NWC) of the party in 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 its National Executive Committee (NEC).
They said the names of members of the Kabir Turaki-led NWC was forwarded to the electoral umpire via their letters dated May 4.
NAN reports that the originating summons, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, was filed on June 4 by a team of lawyers led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN.
The BoT members, who are plaintiffs in the suit, are ex-Senate President Adolphus Wabara; BoT Secretary, former Gov. Muazu Babangida Aliyu of Niger; ex-Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana and PDP chieftain, Olabode George as 1st to 4th plaintiffs.
Others are former Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Maryam Ciroma; also an ex-Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina; member of BoT and NEC, Dame Esther Uduehi and PDP as 5th to 8th plaintiffs respectively.
They sued INEC as sole defendant in the suit.
When the case was called, Uche announced appearance for all the plaintifs, including the PDP that is 8th defendants.
The lawyer informed the court that the National Chairman of the faction which he represented, Kabir Turaki, SAN, was also in court, including Prof. Gana, the 3rd plaintiff in the case.
Mr Sunday Ameh, SAN, also stood up shortly after Uche made his appearance and also announced his appearance for the 8th plaintiff (PDP).
“I have announced appearance for the 8th plaintiff and I am surprised that the learner senior counsel also announced his appearance for the same plaintiff.
“And we have our national chairman here in court,” Uche said.
The development, however, generated some confusions in court.
After O.A. Adeyemi announced his appearance for INEC, Adedayo Adedeji, SAN, also stood up to announce appearance for applicants/parties seeking to be joined in the suit.
Adedeji mentioned the names of the applicants who sought to be joined as 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants in the suit as “Hon. Austin Nwachukwu, Hon. Amah Abraham Nnanna and Mr Turnah George.”
Another lawyer, George Ibrahim, SAN, also announced his appearance for parties seeking to be joined as defendants in the matter.
Ibrahim said he represents Alhaji Mohammed Abdulrahman, the National Chairmam of PDP faction loyal to Mr Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister; Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, the National Secretary and karmardeen Adeyemi Ajibade, SAN, the party’s National Legal Adviser of 8th plaintiff (PDP).
Speaking, Uche said they filed the suit via an originating summons on June 4 with INEC as their sole defendant.
He said the commission had been duly served.
The lawyer equally said that he had also received two applications for joinder from Adedeji and Ibrahim.
Uche said he also received an application from Ameh, seeking for a change of counsel.
He said he found it strange that Ameh wanted to appear for PDP (8th plaintiff) which he was representing in court.
Besides, he said he received another motion from Ameh, praying the court to strike out the name of the 8th plaintiff (PDP) in the suit.
He said he was just being served with the motion prior to the commencement of the case.
INEC’s lawyer, Adeyemi, admitted the commission was served with the plaintiffs’ originating summons on June 11.
He said they were also served with processes filed by Ameh, Adedeji and Ibrahim.
Ameh said he had the instruction to represent the PDP in the suit and that he filed earlier in the morning, a notice of change of counsel for 8th plaintiff.
The senior lawyer said he also filed a motion on notice which seeks the striking out of the name of the 8th plaintiff (PDP) in the suit because the party did not authorise the suit.
“When we get there, your lordship will determine the proprietness of the application,” he said.
Adedeji, who said he filed a motion on notice for parties seeking to be joined on Thursday, submitted that their application should be taken and decided first before proceeding in the main suit.
Ibrahim also spoke in the same vein.
He prayed the court to determine their application for joinder before going into the substantive matter.
Uche did not oppose the submission that the applications for joinder and Ameh’s motions be determined first.
He, however, informed the court that he planned to vehemently oppose the applications for joinder and notice for change of counsel, including a motion to strike out the PDP’s name filed by Adedeji, Ibrahim and Ameh.
The lawyer, who sought a short adjourned date, said this would enable him to file his counter affidavits against all the processes.
Adeyemi, who appeared for INEC, said the commission would not opoose the applications for joinder.
He said the electoral umpire would also leave the issues of notice of change of counsel to the discretion of the court.