A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled January 23 for hearing the application for stay of further proceedings filed by the Kabiru Turaki-led leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The application is in response to a suit by a faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik gave the date on Monday after rejecting a request by plaintiffs’ lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), to reply orally on a point of law. The judge directed Ikpeazu to file a formal written response, noting that it is not her practice to accept oral submissions in lieu of written pleadings.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2501/2025, was filed by the Wike-aligned faction, including acting PDP National Chairman Alhaji Mohammed Abdulrahman and Senator Samuel Anyanwu. They are seeking, among other reliefs, an injunction preventing the Turaki-led leadership from parading themselves as PDP representatives.
The plaintiffs also want the court to bar the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and Department of State Services (DSS) from allowing the Turaki faction access to the PDP national secretariat at Wadara Plaza, Abuja. Additionally, they seek to prevent the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting any address other than the one already recorded as the party’s official office.
The legal dispute traces back to earlier Federal High Court rulings on the PDP’s last national convention in Ibadan, with the plaintiffs asking that INEC, the police, and the DSS be constitutionally bound to enforce those judgments.
At the last court session on December 5, Justice Abdulmalik ordered that parties take no further action pending the suit’s resolution. The Turaki-led faction appealed this decision at the Court of Appeal.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, lawyer Chris Uche (SAN), representing the Turaki faction, informed the court that the appeal (CA/ABJ/CV/1770/2025) had been fully entered and records transmitted. He urged the court to stay further proceedings and adjourn the matter indefinitely.
Ikpeazu opposed the request, arguing that the court should proceed with all pending applications. Following the judge’s instructions, he was directed to file a written response ahead of the January 23 hearing.
