The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday adjourned a suit filed by a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT),until Feb. 20, pending the outcome of an appeal before the Court of Appeal.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik adjourned the matter following an appeal lodged by the Kabiru Turaki-led leadership of the PDP, challenging the interim order directing all parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The suit was filed by the PDP faction aligned with the FCT minister and led by its acting National Chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Abdulrahman.
In the suit, the PDP, Abdulrahman and the factional National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, sought an order restraining the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) from granting the Turaki-led leadership access to the party’s national secretariat at Wadata Plaza, Abuja.
They also asked the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising or accepting any address submitted by the Turaki-led faction as the PDP’s official office address, other than the one already in INEC’s records.
Additionally, the plaintiffs sought an injunction barring the Turaki-led leadership from parading themselves as officers or representatives of the PDP in any capacity.
Justice Abdulmalik had earlier granted an ex-parte order directing all parties to refrain from taking any steps pending the hearing and determination of the suit.
Dissatisfied with the order, the Turaki-led faction approached the Court of Appeal and also filed an application seeking a stay of proceedings at the Federal High Court pending the appellate court’s decision. They further applied for Justice Abdulmalik to recuse herself from the case, citing alleged bias in the handling of the matter.
At the resumed hearing, the judge held that it would be an exercise in futility to proceed with the case, given that an appeal had already been entered at the Court of Appeal, and consequently adjourned the matter until Feb. 20 for a report on the appeal.
In a related development, Justice Abdulmalik dismissed another suit filed by the Turaki-led PDP leadership after their counsel, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, applied for its discontinuance. The judge dismissed the suit on the grounds that issues had already been joined by the parties.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2520/2025, was filed by the PDP, its National Chairman, Kabiru Turaki, and National Secretary, Taofeek Arapaja, against the Inspector-General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force, seeking, among other reliefs, an order directing police officers to vacate the PDP national secretariat at Wadata Plaza.
The court had earlier joined the Wike-aligned PDP officials, including Abdulrahman, Anyanwu and the party’s Board of Trustees Chairman, Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa, as parties to the suit.
