Two attorneys representing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a lawsuit brought against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the Board of Trustees (BoT), led by Senator Adolphus Wabara, caused some minor drama before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday.
The lawsuit, which is pending before Justice Salim Ibrahim, asks the court to issue an order requiring INEC to acknowledge the PDP’s Kabiru Turaki-led interim National Working Committee (NWC) on its official website.
The new lawsuit was brought by the PDP and the BoT.
The plaintiffs asked for an injunction requiring the election umpire to promptly update its records and post the party’s interim NWC on its official website. The plaintiffs and the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) forwarded this information to the umpire.
They asserted that the names of members of the Kabiru Turaki-led NWC were sent to the election umpire in letters dated May 4.
The initial summons, FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, was filed on June 4 by a team of lawyers headed by Chief Chris Uche, SAN.
The first through fourth claimants are former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, former Niger State Governor and BoT Secretary Muazu Babangida Aliyu, former Information Minister Prof. Jerry Gana, and PDP leader Olabode George.
Hajiya Maryam Ciroma, a former minister of women’s affairs; Hajiya Zainab Maina, a former minister of women’s affairs and social development; Dame Esther Uduehi, a member of the BoT and NEC; and the PDP, ranked sixth and ninth, respectively, are among the other plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs merely sued INEC as a defendant.
When the matter was summoned on Friday, Chief Gordy Uche, SAN, said that he would represent all eight plaintiffs, including the PDP, the eighth plaintiff.
On behalf of the eighth plaintiff (PDP), however, Mr. Sunday Ameh, SAN, also confirmed his arrival shortly after Uche did.
However, there was some doubt in the courtroom as a result of the development.
Among those in front of the court on Friday were Prof. Jerry Gana and Tanimu Turaki, the national head of the PDP group.