Justice Salim Ibrahim of the Federal High Court, Abuja, reserved judgment on 7 July 2026 in a suit by the Wabara-led PDP Board of Trustees faction seeking to compel INEC to recognise and publish the interim National Working Committee led by Kabiru Turaki, SAN.
The Federal High Court, Abuja, has reserved judgment in a fresh suit filed by the Senator Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seeking an order to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise and publish on its website the interim National Working Committee (NWC) led by Kabiru Turaki, SAN, and to update its records accordingly.
Justice Salim Ibrahim heard final submissions in the matter, filed as FHC/ABJ/CS/1159/2026, on Tuesday, 7 July 2026. The court reserved judgment and said the date of delivery would be communicated to the parties 24 hours ahead of time.
Counsel for the plaintiffs told the court that the suit is time-bound. According to counsel, INEC's revised 2027 election timetable sets 17 July 2026 as the deadline for political parties to upload the names of their candidates, a factor the plaintiffs urged the court to take into account in the timing of its decision.
Legal significance
A "reserved judgment" means the court has concluded hearing arguments from both sides and adjourned to prepare a written decision, rather than ruling immediately from the bench. No outcome has been indicated, and none should be inferred from the reservation itself; the practice is routine in matters of this nature and does not signal which way a court is inclined to rule.
The suit turns on which faction of the PDP's leadership INEC recognises for regulatory and administrative purposes, including the party’s electoral processes. The commission's revised 2027 timetable, which sets 17 July 2026 as the deadline for parties to upload candidates' names, means the substance of this dispute has practical consequences for the PDP's participation in that timetable regardless of which faction prevails. This is what the plaintiffs' counsel pointed to in urging the court to treat the matter as time-critical.
What happens next
Justice Salim Ibrahim will notify the parties of the judgment date 24 hours before delivery. No date has yet been communicated publicly.
