The legal battle over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership intensified recently at the Federal High Court in Abuja. A faction led by Kabiru Turaki (SAN) filed a motion. They asked Justice Joyce Abdulmalik to recuse herself from the ongoing case.

This suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2501/2025, seeks to nullify the outcome of the PDP’s National Convention. The convention was held in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Justice Abdulmalik has adjourned further proceedings. The main suit and related applications will resume on January 14, 2026.

The Recusal Motion

The motion for recusal was filed by a team of seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs). Chief Chris Uche led this legal consortium. They acted on behalf of former Acting National Chairman Ambassador Umar Damagum. The motion also covered all officers who emerged from the Ibadan convention. These individuals are listed as the 5th to 25th Defendants/Applicants in the suit.

The Turaki faction accuses the trial judge of bias. They stated there is a “reasonable and well-founded apprehension of likelihood of bias.” This concern stems from how the suit has been handled so far.

Allegations of Bias

Previously, the Turaki faction had written to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court. They requested that no cases involving PDP internal disputes be assigned to Justice Abdulmalik and two other judges. They cited “past antecedents and perceived partisanship.” However, the matter was still assigned to her.

The faction alleges that the judge refused an ex parte motion from the opposing faction. This group is aligned with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. However, the judge then issued an ex parte order against their own group on November 25, 2025. This order reportedly barred their group from taking any party steps.

They claimed the order’s “format and template” was “curious.” It was similar to a previous order by Justice Omotosho in an allied PDP matter. They argued that these ex parte orders “touched directly on and determined the main substance of the suit.” This happened even though there was no real urgency.

The motion emphasized the constitutional guarantee of a fair hearing. This right requires an impartial tribunal. The current circumstances, they argued, “manifestly appear to be unfair.”

Court’s Adjournment

The court, however, ruled that the recusal motion was not yet ready for hearing. Some parties had not been formally served with the process. Consequently, the judge adjourned the case. All pending applications and the substantive suit will be heard on January 14, 2026.

Main Suit and Counter-Suit Details

The primary suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/2501/2025) was initiated by the Wike-aligned faction. Mohammed Abdulrahman (Acting National Chairman) and Senator Samuel Anyanwu (National Secretary) are the plaintiffs.

They are asking the court for several reliefs:

To nullify the Ibadan convention and all its resolutions.
To restrain Turaki-led officers from parading themselves as PDP representatives.
To bar INEC from recognizing the Turaki faction.
To direct security agencies (IGP, CP FCT Command, SSS) to provide security for the plaintiffs. This is to enable them to conduct business at the party’s official headquarters, Wadata Plaza and Legacy House.

Justice Abdulmalik also adjourned a counter-suit. This suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/2520/2025) was filed by the Turaki faction. It seeks an order directing the police to vacate the party headquarters at Wadata Plaza. This matter will be heard on January 16, 2026.