The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, suspended further proceedings in the leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) pending the decision of the Court of Appeal.
The court, in a ruling by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, based its decision on the notice of appeal brought to its attention by a faction of the party led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Kabiru Turaki.
Justice Abdulmalik stressed that where such a notice has been duly filed and the record of appeal transmitted, the trial court must exercise restraint.
Consequently, she adjourned the substantive matter till February 20 for mention.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2501/2025, seeks to nullify the outcome of the National Convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16.
It was brought before the court by Mohammed Abdulrahman and Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who are the Acting National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively, of the bloc loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Defendants in the matter included all those who were elected at the Ibadan convention, as well as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); Inspector General of Police; the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command; and the State Security Service (SSS).
The litigants, besides their prayer for an order of injunction to restrain the 5th to 25th defendants (who emerged through the Ibadan convention) “from parading themselves, representing themselves, or allowing themselves to be represented as officers or representatives of the 1st plaintiff (PDP) in any capacity whatsoever,” also sought an order to bar the INEC from recognizing or relating to any other representatives of the party.
They further prayed the court to restrain the defendants from “invading” the national headquarters of the PDP, and to also bar INEC from recognizing any other address as the head office of the party except Wadata Plaza at Wuse Zone 5, Abuja.
They also sought “an order of mandatory injunction directing the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th defendants to provide adequate security and security cover for the plaintiffs (inclusive of the successors of the 2nd and 3rd plaintiffs) for the conduct of the business and affairs of the 1st plaintiff at Plot 1970, Wadata Plaza, Michael Okpara Way, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja and/or Legacy House, Plot 2774, Shehu Shagari Way, Maitama, Abuja, and the environs.”
Counsel to the Turaki-led faction, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, had, when the case came up on Friday, urged trial Justice Abdulmalik to adjourn the matter sine die (indefinitely).
He argued that the filing of the appeal had automatically stripped the trial court of the jurisdiction to proceed further.
However, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, who represented the PDP bloc aligned with the FCT Minister, Wike, opposed the application, insisting there was no order of the appellate court stopping the hearing of the case.
Arguing that the filing of an appeal does not automatically halt a proceeding before a trial court, Ikpeazu, SAN, added that what was before the appellate court was an interlocutory matter.
Reacting to the suspension of the hearing, the National Publicity Secretary of the faction loyal to Wike, Hon. Haruna Jangudu, accused the defendants of deliberately stalling the case.
“How can you wake up and say you do not have confidence in the presiding judge anymore? Why didn’t they wait for the judge to decide, and if they are dissatisfied with the outcome, they can then file for an appeal and present their facts. This is about the third judge they have accused of bias,” Jangudu lamented.
Meanwhile, the court dismissed a motion the Turaki-led faction filed to compel security agencies to grant them access to the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja.
Although they applied for the motion to be struck out, Justice Abdulmalik held that dismissal was the appropriate order, as all parties had already joined issues.
The faction had asked the trial judge to recuse herself from the case, insisting that she had issued far-reaching interlocutory orders that showed bias against them.
“There exists a reasonable and well-founded apprehension of the likelihood of bias against the 5th to 25th Defendants/Applicants in the manner this suit has been handled by His Lordship, Hon. Justice Abdulmalik,” they insisted.