The deepening leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, took another dramatic turn on Friday as the Federal High Court in Abuja postponed further hearing on the suit filed by the pro-Wike faction. The court adjourned the matter to January 14, 2026, after noting that a fresh application seeking the recusal of the presiding judge had not been fully served on all parties involved.
The adjournment came on a day the faction loyal to former Minister of Justice Kabiru Turaki, SAN, formally accused the trial judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, of alleged bias in the handling of the matter. Led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN, a group of seven Senior Advocates filed a motion on behalf of former PDP Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum and other officials elected at the disputed Ibadan convention, urging the judge to step aside.
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In their motion, the Turaki-led group argued that there was a “reasonable and well-founded apprehension” that Justice Abdulmalik might not offer the defendants a fair and impartial hearing. They claimed the judge had acted in a manner that created serious doubt about her neutrality, especially in the way preliminary applications were treated since the suit was filed. They noted that although she earlier refused an ex parte application from the pro-Wike faction, she still proceeded to grant orders that restrained their own camp from taking actions on behalf of the party.
According to the applicants, their constitutional right to fair hearing under Section 36(1) was at risk. They referenced earlier letters addressed to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, formally objecting to PDP internal disputes being assigned to Justice Abdulmalik and two other judges due to past precedents. Despite these objections, the suit, filed on November 21, 2025 was still routed to her court, prompting them to send additional letters requesting its reassignment.
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They also claimed that the ex parte orders issued on November 25 bore striking similarities to orders previously delivered by another judge handling a related matter. This resemblance, they alleged, “went beyond coincidence” and signaled a troubling pattern in the handling of cases affecting the party’s internal leadership contest. The applicants maintained that these circumstances created a legitimate fear that justice might be compromised.
The court, however, held that the motion asking Justice Abdulmalik to withdraw from the matter was not yet ripe for hearing, as some defendants had yet to be served with the necessary processes. On that basis, Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the substantive matter to January 14, 2026, pending proper service and readiness of all parties involved.
The main suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2501/2025, was filed by the Wike-aligned Acting National Chairman, Mohammed Abdulrahman, and National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu. Their suit seeks to nullify the results of the Ibadan convention that produced Damagum and other officers, and it also seeks several injunctions preventing them from functioning as PDP leaders. INEC, the Inspector General of Police, the FCT Commissioner of Police, and the State Security Service are all listed among the defendants.
The pro-Wike faction also wants the court to bar INEC from recognizing the Ibadan-elected officials in any capacity and to restrain the faction from attempting to take control of the PDP national headquarters. Additionally, they are seeking a mandatory order compelling security agencies to provide protection for their leadership structure at Wadata Plaza and Legacy House in Abuja, which they insist remain the legitimate operational bases of the party.
In a separate development, a counter-suit filed by the Turaki-led National Working Committee, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2520/2025, was also adjourned. That matter was fixed for January 16, 2026, and it seeks an order directing security operatives to vacate the national secretariat so that the Ibadan-elected executives can resume control of the party’s headquarters.
Friday’s adjournments highlight the extent of the widening divisions within the PDP, with both camps battling for legitimacy ahead of crucial political decisions in 2026. With the leadership tussle now deferred into the new year, the court’s rulings in mid-January are expected to shape the power structure and future direction of the opposition party.
