PDP crisis: Court fines Wabara, lawyer, others N150m over suit against Wike-led faction

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday awarded N140 million against the Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for filing a frivolous suit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Delivering judgement on Friday, July 17, 2026, Justice Salim Ibrahim also dismissed the leadership tussle suit for being “an abuse of court process, unmeritorious and lacking in merit.”

Justice Ibrahim, who agreed with the arguments of the defendants that “cost follows event,” held that the fine was in line with Section 83(6)(b) of the Electoral Act, 2026.

Justice Ibrahim also ordered counsel to the plaintiffs, Chris Uche (SAN), to pay N10 million in order to ensure that frivolous suits are not filed when the case borders on the internal affairs of political parties.

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

They said the names of members of the Kabir Turaki-led NWC was forwarded to the electoral umpire via their letters dated May 4.

The BoT members, who are plaintiffs in the suit, are former Senate President Adolphus Wabara; BoT Secretary and former Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu; ex-Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana; and PDP chieftain, Olabode George; among others.

Wike declares Abuja ‘closed’ to Tinubu’s critics, says projects have silenced opposition

The PDP faction, loyal to the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, approached the court and challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the suit.

They prayed the court to dismiss the suit in its entirety.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Ibrahim found merit in the argument of Sunday Ameh (SAN) that Wabara-led BoT had no legal basis to have instituted the suit on PDP’s behalf.

The judge agreed that the first to seventh plaintiffs had no authority to have included PDP’s name as plaintiff in the case.

The judge also agreed with the applicants seeking to be joined in the suit as necessary parties.

On the preliminary objections filed by INEC, Justice Ibrahim agreed with the commission that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the suit which bordered on the internal affairs of a political party.