The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday awarded N140 million against the Sen. 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, and others.
Justice Salim Ibrahim, in a judgment, also dismissed the leadership tussle suit for being “an abuse of court process, unmeritorious and lacking in merit.”
Justice Ibrahim, who agreed with the defendants’ argument that “cost follows event,” held that the fine was in line with Section 83(6)(b) of the Electoral Act, 2026. He ordered each of the first to seventh plaintiffs to pay each of the defendants N10 million.
The judge also ordered counsel to the plaintiffs, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, to pay N10 million to ensure that frivolous suits are not filed when the case borders on the internal affairs of political parties.
Recall that members of the Wabara-led BoT had filed the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026 on June 4. They sought an order compelling INEC to recognise the PDP interim National Working Committee, NWC, faction led by Kabir Turaki, SAN, on its official website.
Other plaintiffs are BoT Secretary, former Gov. Babangida Aliyu of Niger; ex-Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana; PDP chieftain, Olabode George; Hajiya Maryam Ciroma; Hajiya Zainab Maina; and Dame Esther Uduehi. PDP was listed as the 8th plaintiff.
The PDP faction loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike challenged the jurisdiction of the court. The Abdulrahman-led executives — National Chairman Alhaji Mohammed Abdulrahman; National Secretary Sen. Samuel Anyanwu; and National Legal Adviser Kamardeen Ajibade — were joined as 2nd to 4th defendants.
Justice Ibrahim found merit in the argument that the Wabara-led BoT had no legal basis to institute the suit on PDP’s behalf and struck out PDP as 8th plaintiff.
He also upheld INEC’s preliminary objection that the court lacked jurisdiction over internal party affairs.
The judge affirmed the leadership of Abdulrahman-led PDP and held that the reliefs sought were not grantable, noting that previous judgments affirming that faction had not been set aside. “Filing the instant suit is like relitigating a settled case,” he said
