A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has struck out a suit seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise and publish the Kabiru Turaki-led interim National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The court delivered its ruling on Friday, bringing an end to the legal action filed by a group led by the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara.
Justice Salim Ibrahim ruled that the plaintiffs lacked the legal standing required to institute the case. The judge held that the suit could not be sustained because the parties who filed it failed to establish the legal authority needed to approach the court on behalf of the PDP.
Based on this finding, the court struck out the case for lack of jurisdiction.
The judge also upheld the preliminary objection filed by INEC against the suit. Similar objections raised by other parties who sought to be joined in the matter were equally sustained.
In his decision, Justice Ibrahim noted that the plaintiffs failed to show that INEC had officially recognised the Kabiru Turaki-led interim National Working Committee.
The court further held that there was no sufficient evidence proving that the plaintiffs were authorised to initiate the action in the name of the opposition party.
The ruling is expected to have implications for the ongoing leadership dispute within the PDP, which has witnessed several legal and political battles in recent months over the control and direction of the party.
The case was filed amid efforts by some stakeholders to secure judicial backing for an interim leadership structure within the party.
However, the court’s decision means that the request for INEC’s recognition of the Turaki-led committee will not proceed under the struck-out suit.
More details to follow…
