Court dismisses Wabara-led PDP BoT suit, awards N150m costs

● Plaintiffs to pay N140m, counsel fined N10m for filing suit

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by the Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing it as an abuse of court process.

In a judgment delivered on Friday, Justice Salim Ibrahim also awarded N140 million in costs against the plaintiffs and ordered their counsel, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), to personally pay N10 million, bringing the total costs awarded to N150 million.

The judge held that the suit was unmeritorious and lacked legal merit, adding that the award of costs was consistent with Section 83(6)(b) of the Electoral Act, 2026.

Justice Ibrahim said the order against the plaintiffs’ counsel was intended to discourage the filing of frivolous suits, particularly in matters relating to the internal affairs of political parties.

The Wabara-led BoT had approached the court seeking an order compelling INEC to recognise the PDP’s interim National Working Committee (NWC) led by its National Chairman, Kabir Turaki (SAN).

The plaintiffs argued that the names of members of the Turaki-led National Working Committee had been forwarded to INEC in a letter dated May 4.

The plaintiffs included former Senate President and BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara; former Niger State Governor and BoT Secretary, Dr. Babangida Aliyu; former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana; PDP chieftain, Chief Olabode George; and others.

However, a faction of the PDP loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, challenged the competence of the suit and urged the court to dismiss it.

In his judgment, Justice Ibrahim upheld the preliminary objection filed by the Wike-backed faction and agreed with its counsel, Sunday Ameh (SAN), that the Wabara-led BoT lacked the legal authority to institute the action on behalf of the PDP.

The court also held that the first to seventh plaintiffs had no authority to include the PDP as a plaintiff in the suit.

Justice Ibrahim further granted the application of parties seeking to be joined in the case as necessary parties.

On INEC’s preliminary objection, the court agreed that the dispute related to the internal affairs of a political party and, therefore, fell outside its jurisdiction.