The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday dismissed a suit filed by Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking an order for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise its faction.
Justice Salim Ibrahim, in a judgement, described the suit as “an abuse of court process, unmeritorious and lacking in merit.”
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Justice Ibrahim held that the plaintiffs failed to prove any entitlement to the reliefs sought
The judge also agreed with the preliminary objection filed by the INEC that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the case.
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Justice Ibrahim, who affirmed the leadership of Mohammed Abdulrahman-led PDP – the faction loyal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike -said “the preliminary objections filed by all the defendants succeed.”
The judge earlier struck out the name of PDP as 8th plaintiff from the suit, while agreeing with the Abdulrahman-led argument that the 1st to 7th plaintiffs had no authority to file the case on behalf of the party.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that members of the Wabara-led BoT had filed the fresh suit.
They sought an order of the court compelling INEC to recognise the PDP interim National Working Committee (NWC)’s faction led by its National Chairman, Kabir Turaki, in its official website, among others.
They said the names of members of the Mr Turaki-led NWC was forwarded to the electoral umpire via their letters dated May 4.
NAN reports that the originating summons, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, was filed on June 4 by a team of lawyers led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN.
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The BoT members, who are plaintiffs in the suit, are ex-Senate President Wabara; BoT Secretary, former Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State; ex-Minister of Information, Jerry Gana, a professor, and PDP chief, Olabode George.
Others are the former Minister of Women Affairs Maryam Ciroma; also an ex-Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Zainab Maina; member of BoT and NEC,Esther Uduehi, and the PDP.
They sued INEC as sole defendant in the suit.
But the PDP faction, loyal to the minister of FCT, approached the court and challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the suit.
(NAN)
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