PDP Crisis Deepens as Wabara, Babangida Aliyu, Jerry Gana, Bode George Drag INEC to Court Over Recognition

By Osaro Michael, Benin

The leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a fresh legal dimension as the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), led by former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, has filed a suit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking official recognition of the Tanimu Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee (NWC).

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, was filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja, on June 4, 2026, by a team of lawyers led by Chief Chris Uche (SAN).
Among the plaintiffs are former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, and former Information Minister Prof. Jerry Gana, PDP chieftain Chief Olabode George, former Women Affairs Ministers Hajiya Maryam Ciroma and Hajiya Zainab Maina, Dame Esther Uduehi, and the PDP itself.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to compel INEC to immediately update its records and publish on its official platform the names of members of the PDP Interim National Working Committee headed by Tanimu Turaki, which they said were formally submitted to the commission through letters dated May 4, 2026.

The legal action comes barely a day after the Court of Appeal in Abuja overturned key aspects of a Federal High Court judgment delivered in Ibadan that had recognized a factional PDP caretaker committee aligned with Senator Samuel Anyanwu and loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

In its June 3 judgment, the appellate court held that the lower court exceeded its jurisdiction by granting reliefs that were not sought by any of the parties before it. Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, who delivered the unanimous judgment, faulted the trial court for making declarations outside the issues presented for determination.

The Wabara-led BoT is now asking the Federal High Court to declare that INEC is constitutionally bound to comply with several subsisting judgments delivered by the FCT High Court, the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court regarding the PDP leadership dispute.

The plaintiffs argued that following the nullification of the PDP National Convention held on November 15 and 16, 2025, and the judicial affirmation of the suspension of several key party officials, a leadership vacuum emerged within the party.

According to them, the BoT and the National Executive Committee (NEC) subsequently constituted an Interim NWC led by Tanimu Turaki to manage the party’s affairs pending the conduct of a valid national convention.

In an affidavit supporting the suit, former Governor Babangida Aliyu stated that several top PDP officials, including Senator Samuel Anyanwu, National Secretary Umar Bature, Adeyemi Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), and Okechukwu Osuoha, were suspended by the party’s NWC on November 1, 2025, over allegations of gross misconduct, anti-party activities, and insubordination.

Aliyu further stated that the suspensions were upheld by both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, while the PDP National Convention that produced new national officers in November 2025 was also nullified by the appellate court and subsequently affirmed by the apex court.
According to him, these judicial decisions necessitated the establishment of an Interim NWC to prevent a leadership vacuum within the party.

He explained that the BoT and NEC formally communicated the composition of the Interim NWC to INEC through separate letters dated May 4, 2026, while subsequent correspondence detailing the allocation of portfolios among committee members was sent on May 15.
However, Aliyu alleged that despite receiving the communications, INEC failed to update its records or accord recognition to the Interim NWC.

The plaintiffs therefore seek a court order directing INEC to recognize the Turaki-led Interim NWC, accept all official correspondence emanating from it, and channel all future communications concerning the PDP through the committee.

Aliyu described INEC’s refusal to act on the submitted documents and existing court judgments as a violation of constitutional principles and the rule of law, warning that continued non-compliance could further aggravate the crisis within the opposition party.

He urged the court to intervene in the interest of justice and ensure compliance with valid and subsisting judicial pronouncements.
As of the time of filing this report, the case had not yet been assigned to a judge for hearing.
Source: NAN.