PDP Leadership Tussle: Court Fixes January 23 To Hear Turaki-Led Motion

The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed January 23, for hearing of the application for stay of further proceedings filed by the Kabiru Turaki-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against a suit instituted by a faction aligned with the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik adjourned the matter to allow counsel for the plaintiffs, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, to formally respond to the motion.

The Wike-led PDP, represented by acting National Chairman Alhaji Mohammed Abdulrahman and Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the factional National Secretary, had filed the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2501/2025.

The plaintiffs are seeking an injunction restraining the Turaki-led leadership (5th to 25th defendants) from parading themselves as PDP representatives.

They also want the court to stop the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) from granting the Turaki-led faction access to the party’s national secretariat at Wadara Plaza, Abuja.

Additionally, the plaintiffs seek an order preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting any other office address from the Turaki faction as the PDP’s official address.

The suit also asks the court to declare that INEC, the police, and DSS are constitutionally obligated to implement and enforce prior Federal High Court rulings delivered by Justices James Omotosho and Peter Lifu.

Earlier, Justice Abdulmalik had granted an ex-parte order restraining all parties from taking further action pending the suit’s hearing.

In response, the Turaki-led faction filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal and a motion seeking a stay of proceedings in the suit. They also requested that Justice Abdulmalik recuse herself, citing a reasonable apprehension of bias.

At Wednesday’s proceedings, Ikpeazu said all pending applications would be heard alongside the substantive case and confirmed the plaintiffs were ready to proceed.

However, Chief Chris Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, representing the Turaki-led faction, argued that the court should adjourn the matter.

He said the faction had already filed an appeal against the ex-parte order and an accompanying motion for stay of proceedings, citing the 2021 case of Secondus vs. Ibaochi Alex, which established that a trial court cannot continue proceedings once an appeal is lodged.

Uche also stressed that the faction had petitioned the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, requesting that no PDP internal dispute cases be assigned to Justice Abdulmalik due to past perceived partisanship.

He argued that prior ex-parte orders issued by Justice Abdulmalik mirrored a template used by Justice Omotosho, which they claimed unfairly favored the plaintiffs.

In response, Ikpeazu maintained that filing an appeal does not automatically halt proceedings.

He argued that the nature of the appeal matters, noting that the Turaki faction’s appeal relates only to an interlocutory decision and not the main suit. He urged the court to continue with all pending applications.

Justice Abdulmalik directed Ikpeazu to file a formal response to the motion for stay, noting that he had been served only the previous day.

Consequently, the court adjourned the matter to January 23 for hearing of the Turaki-led PDP’s motion to stay further proceedings.