The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, slated July 7 for definite hearing in a suit filed by Sen. Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Kabir Turaki led leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Justice Salim Ibrahim, who fixed the date to allow all parties file and respond to processes served on them, held that all pending applications and substantive suit would be taken together in the next adjourned date.
The judge also ordered all the parties to file and serve their processes as agreed by Monday, July 6.
The judge, who held that the court would not entertain further delay of proceedings on the next adjourned date, held that, the court will hear all applications, including the substantive suit on July 7.
The had, on June 19, ordered an accelerated hearing in the case after counsel to the plaintiffs, Chief Gordy Uche, SAN, informed the court that the suit is time bound based on INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections which gave July 17 as ultimatum.
Members of the Wabara-led BoT and the PDP had filed the fresh suit seeking an order of the court compelling INEC to recognise the Turaki-led interim National Working Committee (NWC) of the party in its official website.
The plaintiffs also sought an order directing the electoral umpire to, forthwith, update its records and publish on its official website the interim NWC of the party as forwarded to it by the plaintiffs and its National Executive Committee (NEC).
They said the names of members of the Kabir Turaki-led NWC was forwarded to INEC via their letters dated May 4.
The originating summons, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, was filed on June 4 by a team of lawyers led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN. The BoT members, who are plaintiffs in the suit, are ex-Senate President Adolphus Wabara; BoT Secretary, former Gov. Muazu Babangida Aliyu of Niger; ex-Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana and PDP chieftain, Olabode George as 1st to 4th plaintiffs.
Others include former Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Maryam Ciroma; also an ex-Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina; member of BoT and NEC, Dame Esther Uduehi and PDP as 5th to 8th plaintiffs respectively.
They sued INEC as sole defendant in the suit.
On Tuesday’s proceeding, Gordy Uche, SAN, announced appearance for all the plaintiffs while Mr Sunday Ameh, SAN, also announced his appearance for 8th plaintiff/applicant (PDP).
Addressing the court, Uche said, on the last adjourned date, he was ready for the hearing of the matter when he was confronted with applications by parties seeking to be joined in the matter. He told the court that, he had responded to the applications accordingly and was ready for the hearing of the suit.
Uche, therefore, applied that all the applications, including their substantive suit, be taken together and ruling and judgment delivered.to save the judicial time and enable his clients meet with the INEC’s timetable for submission of names of candidates for the 2027 elections.
The lawyer said the commission had reiterated that its “July 11 for the submission of names of candidates is sacrosanct. They said the submission started yesterday and parties have been given access code and we also need the access code too,” Uche said and prayed the court to grant his application and appealed to lawyers to other parties to also reason with him.
Ameh, who also appeared for 8th plaintiff; O. A. Adeyemi, counsel for INEC; Chief Fedinard Orbih, SAN, who represented parties seeking to be joined as 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants and Adedayo Adedeji, SAN, who also appeared for applicants seeking to join as defendants, did not oppose Uche’s application and Justice Ibrahim consequently adjourned the matter till July 7 for hearing of all applications and the substantive suit.
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