Court defers hearing of pro-Wike faction’s suit till Jan 14 amidst PDP crises
Court defers hearing of pro-Wike faction’s suit till Jan 14 amidst PDP crises
The Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed further hearings in the case that seeks to overturn the PDP’s Ibadan national convention. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik set the next hearing for 14 January 2026 after a faction led by Kabiru Turaki, SAN, asked her to step aside, claiming bias .
– *Recusal request:* Turaki’s group, represented by a team of senior lawyers headed by Chief Chris Uche, filed a motion arguing that the judge’s conduct created a “reasonable apprehension of bias” against the 5th‑25th defendants . They cited the judge’s earlier refusal of an ex‑parte application by the Wike‑aligned faction and her subsequent orders that barred Turaki’s camp from acting for the party..
– *Parties involved:*
– Plaintiffs: Acting National Chairman Mohammed Abdulrahman and Senator Samuel Anyanwu (Wike bloc) .
– Defendants: Former National Chairman Umar Damagum, the PDP leadership elected at Ibadan, plus INEC, the Inspector‑General of Police, the FCT Police Commissioner and the SSS .
– Counter‑suit: The PDP, its National Chairman Turaki and Secretary Taofeek Arapaja filed a separate suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/2520/2025) seeking to evict the Wike faction from the party headquarters; this was also adjourned, to 16 January 2026
– *Court’s stance:* The judge said the recusal motion was premature because some parties had not yet been served, and therefore adjourned the matter .
– *Relief sought:* The Wike faction wants an injunction to stop the Ibadan‑elected officials from presenting themselves as PDP officers, to bar INEC from recognizing any other party address except Wadata Plaza, and to compel security agencies to protect the plaintiffs at the PDP headquarters .
The case reflects the deepening split within the PDP between supporters of Nyesom Wike and those backing Kabiru Turaki, with both sides seeking court validation of their claim to the party’s leadership. The next hearing is scheduled for early 2026.
