Senator Adolphus Wabara, Chair of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), has filed a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding recognition of the party’s interim National Working Committee (NWC).
In the suit, the BoT and PDP seek an order compelling INEC to promptly update its records and publish on its official website the NWC members as forwarded to INEC by the plaintiffs and the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
They stated that the names of the members of the Tanimu Turaki-led NWC were sent to INEC via letters dated May 4.
The News Agency of Nigeria (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.
The plaintiffs include former Senate President Wabara; BoT Secretary and former Niger Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu; ex-Minister of Information Prof. Jerry Gana; and PDP chieftain Olabode George, among others.
Other plaintiffs are former Minister of Women Affairs Hajiya Maryam Ciroma, ex-Minister Hajiya Zainab Maina, BoT and NEC member Dame Esther Uduehi, and the PDP as additional plaintiffs.
The sole defendant in the suit is INEC.
NAN reports that the Court of Appeal in Abuja, on June 3, set aside key parts of a Federal High Court judgment in Ibadan that recognized a factional PDP caretaker committee.
The appellate court found that the lower court granted reliefs that were never sought by either party. Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam faulted Justice Uche Agomoh for exceeding the issues before the court in a leadership dispute.
Justice Agomoh had, on January 30, recognized the caretaker committee led by Abdurahman Mohammed and Samuel Anyanwu of Nyesom Wike’s camp as the legitimate PDP leadership. The Court of Appeal held that no party had requested such a declaration.
Meanwhile, Wabara’s PDP BoT, in the suit filed on June 4, seeks a declaration that INEC is constitutionally obliged to enforce and give full effect to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court decision in suit number CV/1050/2025, between Sen. Samuel Anyanwu and Amb. Umar Daguun, delivered on January 12.
They also seek a declaration that INEC must adhere to decisions in appeals CA/ABI/1613/2025, delivered on March 9; SC/CV/164/2026, delivered on April 30; and SC/CV/166/2026, also delivered on April 30.
The suit includes affidavits, notably from Aliyu, who detailed the suspension of key PDP officers, including Sen. Anyanwu, for misconduct and anti-party activities, and the subsequent legal battles over their expulsion.
Aliyu explained that following court judgments nullifying the November 2025 PDP national convention and upholding the suspension of key officers, the BoT constituted an interim NWC to oversee the party’s affairs pending a valid convention.
He stated that this interim NWC was communicated to INEC through letters dated May 4, and portfolios were assigned to NWC members, which were further communicated in letters dated May 15.
Aliyu accused INEC of failing, refusing, and neglecting to update its records or recognize the interim NWC despite receipt of these communications, and he urged the court to intervene to uphold the rule of law and the constitution.
He emphasized that INEC’s actions undermine judicial decisions and that court intervention is necessary for justice.
The suit had not been assigned as of the time of this report.
