—Faction Vows to Appeal
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has struck out a legal challenge instituted by the Board of Trustees (BoT) and several founding leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which sought judicial recognition for the interim National Working Committee (NWC) led by Kabiru Turaki.
Delivering judgment on Friday, the presiding judge, Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim, upheld a preliminary objection filed by the respondents.
The court ruled that the conflict over the party’s leadership constitutes an internal dispute, a domain over which the court’s jurisdiction has been legally ousted.
The legal battle stems from a broader factional crisis within the main opposition party, where a group led by BoT Chairman Adolphus Wabara approached the judiciary to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to update its official portal and recognize the Turaki-headed interim leadership.
Reacting swiftly to the court’s verdict, the National Publicity Secretary of the Interim NWC, Ini Ememobong, stated that while the faction maintains its respect for the trial court, it firmly believes the decision runs contrary to established precedents set by the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
Ememobong confirmed that the plaintiffs have already instructed their legal team to initiate immediate appeal proceedings against both the specific intermediate rulings and the final judgment.
The factional leadership remains optimistic about its prospects as the case moves higher up the appellate ladder.
In the statement, Ememobong characterized the ongoing dispute as a battle of principles over compromise, expressing confidence that despite the legal setback, the faction will ultimately secure a favorable outcome to guarantee the survival of multi-party democracy and true opposition in Nigeria.
