Court Sets Jan 23 For Hearing On Move To Halt PDP Leadership Case

A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed January 23, 2026, to hear an application seeking to stay further proceedings in a suit arising from the leadership crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The application was filed by the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the party against a suit instituted by the camp loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik adjourned the matter to allow the plaintiffs’ counsel, Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, formally respond to the application for stay.

The Wike-backed faction, led by the party’s acting National Chairman, Mohammed Abdulrahman, had approached the court to restrain the Turaki-led leadership from parading itself as the PDP leadership and from accessing the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

They also sought orders barring the Independent National Electoral Commission, the police and the Department of State Services from recognising or dealing with the Turaki-led group as the party’s leadership.

Following an earlier ex-parte order directing parties to maintain the status quo, the Turaki-led faction filed an appeal and applied for a stay of proceedings, arguing that the trial court should halt action pending the outcome of the appeal.

Their lawyer, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, told the court that the appeal had been entered and that the trial court was therefore barred from continuing with the case.

However, Ikpeazu argued that an appeal does not automatically operate as a stay and urged the court to proceed with the matter.

Justice Abdulmalik declined to proceed and adjourned the case to January 23 for hearing of the application for stay.