PDP Leadership Tussle: Court Suspends Proceedings Pending Appeal Court Ruling

The Federal High Court in Abuja has halted further hearings in the ongoing leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), pending a decision of the Court of Appeal.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, in a ruling on Friday, said the court was bound to exercise restraint after being notified of a duly filed notice of appeal by a faction of the party led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Kabiru Turaki.

She explained that once a notice of appeal has been filed and the record of appeal transmitted, the trial court must stay its hand. Consequently, Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until February 20 for mention.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2501/2025, challenges the outcome of the PDP National Convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16. It was filed by Mohammed Abdulrahman and Senator Samuel Anyanwu, Acting National Chairman and National Secretary respectively, of the PDP bloc loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The defendants include officials elected at the Ibadan convention, alongside the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police (FCT Command), and the State Security Service (SSS).

Among other reliefs, the plaintiffs are seeking injunctions restraining those elected at the convention from “parading themselves, representing themselves or allowing themselves to be represented as officers or representatives” of the PDP. They also asked the court to bar INEC from recognising them as party officials, prevent any takeover of the PDP national headquarters, and compel security agencies to provide protection at the party’s offices in Abuja.

At Friday’s proceedings, counsel to the Turaki-led faction, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, urged the court to adjourn the case sine die, arguing that the filing of an appeal had stripped the trial court of jurisdiction.

However, counsel to the Wike-aligned faction, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, opposed the request, insisting that there was no appellate court order stopping proceedings. He argued that the appeal was interlocutory and did not automatically halt the trial.

Reacting to the suspension, the Wike faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Haruna Jangudu, accused the opposing side of deliberately delaying the case.

“How can you wake up and say you do not have confidence in the presiding judge anymore? Why didn’t they wait for the judge to decide, and if they are dissatisfied with the outcome, they can then file for an appeal?” Jangudu said, adding that, “This is about the third judge they have accused of bias.”

Meanwhile, the court dismissed a motion by the Turaki-led faction seeking to compel security agencies to grant them access to the PDP National Secretariat. Justice Abdulmalik ruled that dismissal, rather than striking out the motion, was appropriate since all parties had joined issues.

The faction had also asked the judge to recuse herself, alleging bias and citing what they described as “far-reaching interlocutory orders.”

“There exists a reasonable and well-founded apprehension of the likelihood of bias against the 5th to 25th Defendants/Applicants in the manner this suit has been handled,” they claimed.

Opinion Nigeria News