The Federal High Court in Abuja will on Friday deliver judgment in a suit filed by members of the Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The case is linked to the PDP leadership dispute involving the faction loyal to the interim National Working Committee led by Kabir Turaki, SAN.
Justice Salim Ibrahim is scheduled to deliver the judgment at 4 p.m.
Hearing notices have already been issued to parties involved in the suit.
The court had, on July 7, reserved judgment after lawyers representing the parties adopted their processes and presented arguments for and against the case.
Justice Ibrahim had earlier said the judgment date would be communicated to the parties 24 hours before delivery.
The suit was filed by members of the Wabara-led BoT seeking an order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise the Turaki-led interim National Working Committee on its official website.
The plaintiffs also asked the court to direct INEC to update its records and publish the names of the interim NWC members forwarded to the commission.
According to the plaintiffs, the names of the Turaki-led interim NWC were sent to INEC through letters dated May 4.
The originating summons, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, was filed on June 4 by a legal team led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN.
The plaintiffs include former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, BoT Secretary and former Niger State Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu, former Minister of Information Prof. Jerry Gana and PDP chieftain Olabode George.
Others are former Minister of Women Affairs Hajiya Maryam Ciroma, former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development Hajiya Zainab Maina, BoT and NEC member Dame Esther Uduehi, and the PDP.
INEC was listed as the sole defendant in the suit.
However, a PDP faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter.
At the last sitting, Uche announced appearance for the first to eighth plaintiffs.
But Sunday Ameh, SAN, appearing from the Wike-backed camp, also announced representation for the PDP, which is listed as the eighth plaintiff.
The Wike-backed PDP executive, led by National Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed, National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu and National Legal Adviser Kamardeen Ajibade, applied to be joined in the suit as defendants.
They were represented by Emmanuel Ukala, SAN.
Joseph Daudu, SAN, also appeared for Austin Nwachukwu, former Imo PDP chairman, Abraham Amah and George Turner, who also sought to be joined in the case.
The applicants urged the court to dismiss the suit in its entirety.
Counsel to the plaintiffs argued that the matter was time-sensitive because of INEC’s revised timetable and schedule for the 2027 general elections.
They said the timetable gave July 17 as the deadline for uploading candidates’ names for the election.
INEC and other parties filed preliminary objections and counter-affidavits asking the court to dismiss the case.
Ameh argued that the PDP did not authorise Uche to file the suit on its behalf.
He said his side had filed a notice of change of counsel and an application seeking to strike out the PDP’s name from the list of plaintiffs.
According to him, the court’s ruling would determine whether the party’s name should remain in the suit.
Uche opposed the application and described it as misconceived and frivolous.
He also urged the court to reject the request for change of counsel.
The court heard arguments on joinder applications, preliminary objections and the substantive suit before reserving judgment and rulings on all pending applications.
Friday’s decision is expected to determine the next phase of the legal contest over recognition of the PDP’s disputed interim leadership structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.
