The legal battle for control of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) intensified on Friday. A faction led by Kabiru Turaki (SAN) filed a motion. They asked Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja to step down from a major case. The faction cited concerns about judicial bias.
This suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2501/2025, aims to invalidate the outcome of the PDP National Convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Motion for Recusal and Bias Allegations
The recusal motion came from a team of seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs). Chief Chris Uche led this group. They represent former Acting National Chairman Ambassador Umar Damagum and other officers. These officials emerged from the Ibadan convention. They are the 5th to 25th Defendants/Applicants in the suit.
The applicants accuse the trial judge of bias. They claim there is a “reasonable and well-founded apprehension of likelihood of bias.” This concern stems from how the suit has been handled so far.
Before this, 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 or two other judges. They cited “past antecedents and perceived partisanship.” However, the matter was still assigned to her.
The faction alleges specific incidents of bias. They claim the judge refused an ex parte motion from the opposing faction (aligned with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike). Yet, she issued a similar ex parte order against their group on November 25, 2025. This order reportedly barred their group from taking any party actions. They described the order’s “format and template” as “curious.” They also noted its similarity to a previous order by Justice Omotosho in a related PDP matter.
The motion argued that these ex parte orders “touched directly on and determined the main substance of the suit.” They added that these orders were made without real urgency.
Furthermore, the motion highlighted that a fair hearing requires an impartial tribunal. The current circumstances, they stressed, “manifestly appear to be unfair.”
Court Adjourns Proceedings
The court, however, ruled that the recusal motion was not ready for hearing. This was because some parties had not yet received formal service of the process. Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned further proceedings. The main suit and all related applications will be heard on January 14, 2026.
The Core of the Legal Dispute
The initial suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/2501/2025) was filed by the Wike-aligned faction. Mohammed Abdulrahman (Acting National Chairman) and Senator Samuel Anyanwu (National Secretary) are the plaintiffs. They seek several court orders:
- Nullify the Ibadan convention and all its resolutions.
- Restrain the Turaki-led officers from parading themselves as PDP representatives.
- Bar INEC from recognizing the Turaki faction.
- Direct security agencies (IGP, CP FCT Command, SSS) to secure party headquarters for the plaintiffs. This includes Wadata Plaza and Legacy House.
In response, the Turaki faction filed a counter-suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/2520/2025). This suit requests an order for the police to vacate the party headquarters at Wadata Plaza. Justice Abdulmalik also adjourned this counter-suit. It will now be heard on January 16, 2026.
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