Abuja – The Senator Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has filed a suit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding recognition of an interim National Working Committee (NWC) headed by Tanimu Turaki.
The plaintiffs are seeking an order compelling INEC to immediately update its records and publish on its official website the NWC forwarded to the commission via letters dated May 4.
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.
Listed as plaintiffs are former Senate President Wabara; former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu; ex-Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana; and PDP chieftain Olabode George. Others include former Women Affairs Ministers Hajiya Maryam Ciroma and Hajiya Zainab Maina; BoT and NEC member Dame Esther Uduehi; and the PDP itself.
The legal action follows a Court of Appeal judgment delivered on June 3 in Abuja, which set aside key aspects of a Federal High Court ruling in Ibadan that had recognised a factional caretaker committee led by Abdurahman Mohammed and Samuel Anyanwu – loyalists of Nyesom Wike.
The appellate court held that Justice Uche Agomoh had granted reliefs never sought by any party to the dispute.
In the fresh suit, the Wabara-led BoT seeks a declaration that INEC is constitutionally bound to enforce decisions from the FCT High Court (suit CV/1050/2025 delivered on January 12), the Court of Appeal (CA/ABI/1613/2025 delivered on March 9), and the Supreme Court (SC/CV/164/2026 and SC/CV/166/2026 both delivered on April 30).
The plaintiffs are praying for an order directing INEC to accept all official correspondence from the interim NWC and to direct its communications to the same body.
In an affidavit supporting the summons, former Governor Aliyu deposed that on November 1, 2025, key PDP officers – including Senator Anyanwu, Umar Bature, Adeyemi Kamaldeen Ajibade, and Okechukwu Osuoha – were suspended by NWC resolution for gross misconduct and anti-party activities. Their suspension was approved at the 608th NWC meeting, and they were referred to the National Disciplinary Committee (NDC).
Mr Aliyu said Anyanwu was later recommended for expulsion, a decision upheld at the same NWC meeting. Anyanwu subsequently challenged his expulsion at the FCT High Court, which dismissed his claim on the merits on January 12.
Following the Court of Appeal’s nullification of the party’s November 15-16, 2025 elective national convention – a decision later affirmed by the Supreme Court – the BoT constituted an interim NWC to oversee party affairs pending a valid convention.
That decision was communicated to INEC on May 4 by the BoT and NEC. Portfolios were assigned on May 12 and INEC notified on May 15. Despite further letters from party lawyer Chief Uche on May 8 and May 13, the commission has failed to update its records or recognise the interim NWC.
Mr Aliyu described INEC’s inaction as “a grave affront to the rule of law and the supremacy of the constitution.” The suit is yet to be assigned to a judge.
