Court Strikes Out Suit Seeking INEC Recognition of Turaki-Led PDP Interim Committee

A Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a suit seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise and publish the names of the Kabiru Turaki-led interim National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The suit was instituted by some PDP stakeholders led by the party’s Board of Trustees Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara.

Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Salim Ibrahim held that the plaintiffs lacked the legal standing (locus standi) to institute the action, ruling that the court had no jurisdiction to entertain the case.

The judge consequently struck out the suit for want of jurisdiction after upholding the preliminary objection raised by INEC.

Justice Ibrahim also sustained similar preliminary objections filed by parties seeking to be joined in the matter.

In his ruling, the judge held that the plaintiffs failed to establish that INEC had recognised the purported Kabiru Turaki-led interim National Working Committee. He further ruled that they did not demonstrate the legal authority to institute the suit on behalf of the PDP.

The decision effectively ends the attempt by the plaintiffs to secure a court order compelling INEC to recognise and publish the names of the Turaki-led interim leadership of the opposition party.