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The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday reserved judgment in a suit filed by the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, seeking an order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the party’s interim National Working Committee (NWC) headed by Kabiru Turaki (SAN).

Justice Salim Ibrahim fixed no date for the judgment but said parties would be notified after hearing arguments from all counsel in the matter.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to direct INEC to update its records and publish on its official website the Turaki-led interim NWC, which they said was forwarded to the electoral commission through letters dated May 4 by the PDP’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, was filed on June 4 by a legal team led by Chief Chris Uche (SAN).

Listed as plaintiffs are Wabara, former Niger State Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, Prof. Jerry Gana, Chief Olabode George, Hajiya Maryam Ciroma, Hajiya Zainab Maina, Dame Esther Uduehi and the PDP.

However, the faction of the PDP loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, is contesting both the competence of the suit and the court’s jurisdiction.

At Tuesday’s proceedings, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Sunday Ameh, who announced appearance for the PDP as the eighth plaintiff, argued that the party did not authorise the filing of the suit.

Ameh urged the court to strike out the PDP’s name as a plaintiff and recognise his notice of change of counsel, insisting the action was filed without the party’s approval.

But Uche opposed the application, describing it as misconceived and frivolous. He maintained that the suit was properly instituted and urged the court to dismiss the request.

The Wike-backed leadership, led by National Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed, National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu and National Legal Adviser Kamardeen Ajibade, also sought to be joined in the suit as defendants.

Represented by Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), they argued that they were necessary parties and cited an Ibadan court judgment which, according to them, nullified the PDP convention held in November 2025 and ordered the establishment of a caretaker committee.

Uche opposed the joinder application, describing the applicants as “meddlesome interlopers and busy bodies,” arguing that the reliefs sought in the suit were directed solely against INEC.

Former Imo PDP Chairman Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah and George Turner also sought to be joined as defendants through an application argued by Joseph Daudu (SAN), which was equally opposed by the plaintiffs.

INEC, through its counsel Olusegun Adeyemi, urged the court to dismiss the suit for lack of jurisdiction, relying on a preliminary objection filed on June 23.

The commission argued that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter and asked that the case be struck out.

In response, Uche urged the court to dismiss INEC’s objection, insisting it was “grossly misconceived, frivolous and lacking in merit.”

The plaintiffs had earlier argued that the case required urgent determination because of INEC’s revised timetable for the 2027 general elections, which sets July 17 as the deadline for political parties to upload the names of their candidates.

After hearing all submissions on the preliminary objections, joinder applications and the substantive suit, Justice Ibrahim reserved ruling and judgment to a date to be communicated to all parties.

The outcome of the case is expected to have significant implications for the leadership dispute within the PDP and the party’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.