PDP Crisis: Court Shifts Hearing on Pro-Wike Faction’s Suit to January 14

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday postponed further hearings in the suit challenging the outcome of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Convention held recently in Ibadan, Oyo State. The case has been adjourned to January 14, 2026.

The adjournment came as a faction of the party led by Kabiru Turaki, SAN, asked the presiding judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, to step aside from the case.

Through a motion filed by a team of seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) led by Chief Chris Uche, former PDP National Chairman Ambassador Umar Damagum and other party officials elected at the Ibadan convention accused the judge of being biased.

According to them, “there exists a reasonable and well-founded apprehension of likelihood of bias against the 5th to 25th Defendants/Applicants in the manner this suit has been handled by His Lordship, Hon. Justice Abdulmalik.”

They argued that even though the judge earlier refused an ex parte request filed by the faction loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, she still issued orders stopping their own group from taking decisions on behalf of the party.

They added that the right to fair hearing under Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution includes being tried by an impartial tribunal. The applicants said they had already written to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court asking that no PDP-related case be assigned to Justice Abdulmalik or two other judges because of past cases and perceived partisanship.

Despite their objection, the case still ended up in her court, they said, prompting a second protest letter asking for the matter to be reassigned.

They argued that the judge’s decision to make ex parte orders on November 25—just four days after the suit was filed—raised concerns, noting similarities with orders previously issued by another judge, Justice Omotosho, in a related matter.

They said the orders touched on the core issue of the suit even though there was no urgent situation that justified such directives.

They stressed that judicial proceedings must not only be fair, but must clearly appear to be fair. A reasonable observer, they maintained, would fear they might not get impartial judgment, making reassignment necessary to protect the integrity of the case.

However, the court ruled that the motion asking the judge to recuse herself was not ready for hearing because some parties had not been properly served. The case was then adjourned to next year.

The substantive suit, FHC/ABJ/CS/2501/2025, was filed by Acting National Chairman and National Secretary of the Wike-backed bloc, Mohammed Abdulrahman and Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

Listed as defendants are Damagum and all officials elected during the Ibadan convention, along with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Inspector General of Police, the FCT Commissioner of Police, and the State Security Service (SSS).

The plaintiffs are seeking an injunction stopping the Ibadan-elected officers from presenting themselves as PDP officials. They also asked the court to stop INEC from recognizing them.

They further requested orders stopping the defendants from “invading” the PDP national headquarters and directing INEC to recognize only Wadata Plaza, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja as the official party headquarters.

They also applied for a mandatory injunction requiring security agencies to provide protection for them at Wadata Plaza and Legacy House in Maitama, Abuja.

A separate suit filed by the PDP, its National Chairman Turaki, SAN, and National Secretary Taofeek Arapaja—marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2520/2025—was also adjourned until January 16. That suit seeks an order directing the police to leave the party’s national headquarters so they can resume work in their offices.

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