Court reschedules Wike PDP faction’s suit over pending appeal

The Turaki-led faction had also filed a motion asking the court to stay proceedings pending the decision of the appeal.

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday adjourned a suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction aligned with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike until 20 February to take report on the development regarding the case at the Court of Appeal.

Judge Joyce Abdulmalik’s decision followed the Kabiru Turaki-led PDP leadership’s appeal pending before the Court of Appeal challenging an interim order that barred all parties from taking any action until the main case was decided.

The Turaki-led faction had also filed a motion asking the court to stay proceedings pending the decision of the appeal.

On Wednesday, the judge rescheduled the hearing till today (Friday) to give the Wike-aligned faction time to respond.

But on Friday, Ms Abdulmalik said it would be futile to continue proceedings while the appeal was pending.

She adjourned the matter until 20 February for a report on the appellate court’s proceedings.

The suit and related motions

The Wike faction, led by Mohammed Abdulrahman as national chairperson and Samuel Anyanwu as the national secretary, filed the main suit after Federal High Court judges James Omotosho and Peter Lifu stopped the PDP from holding its national convention on 31 October and 11 November last year.

Despite those rulings, the Turaki-led faction held the convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, between 15 and 16 November 2025, electing national officers, including Mr Turaki, which the Wike-aligned faction rejected and later sought to nullify in court.

The plaintiffs asked the court to bar the Turaki-led leadership from accessing the PDP national secretariat at Wadata Plaza, Abuja.

They also sought to prevent the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising any other address or representation from the Turaki faction as the party’s official office, and to stop the group from presenting themselves as PDP representatives in any capacity.

They also filed an ex-parte motion asking the court to maintain the status quo, preventing all parties from taking action until the suit is decided.

It was that order, an ex-parte motion granted by the judge directing parties not to take any action pending the hearing of the suit, that the Turaki-led faction challenged at the Court of Appeal and also requested a stay of proceedings.

They also filed a separate motion asking the judge to recuse herself, citing fears of bias.

The judge also dismissed another suit filed by the Turaki faction, which had sought an order directing the Inspector-General of Police and the Nigerian Police to vacate the PDP national headquarters at Wadata Plaza.

The case was dismissed after a motion for discontinuance by Chris Uche, a Seniro Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), representing the Turaki-led leadership.

The judge said that the matter could not continue because issues had already been joined by the Wike faction.