Wike’s Vs Turaki: Hands Off, You’re Bias – PDP Tells Judge

The legal battle over the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) intensified on Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where the faction led by Kabiru Turaki (SAN), filed a motion asking Justice Joyce Abdulmalik to recuse herself from the case.

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

Justice Abdulmalik adjourned further proceedings on the main suit and the related applications until January 14, 2026.

The motion for recusal, filed by a consortium of seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) led by Chief Chris Uche, was brought on behalf of former Acting National Chairman Ambassador Umar Damagum and all officers who emerged from the Ibadan convention (the 5th to 25th Defendants/Applicants).

They accuse the trial judge of bias, stating that there exists a “reasonable and well founded apprehension of likelihood of bias” due to the manner in which the suit has been handled.

The Turaki faction had previously written to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court requesting that no case concerning PDP internal disputes be assigned to Justice Abdulmalik and two other judges, citing “past antecedents and perceived partisanship.”

The matter was still assigned to her.

They allege that although the judge refused an ex parte motion brought by the opposing faction (aligned with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike), she still proceeded to issue an ex parte order on November 25, 2025, against their own group. They claimed this order barred their group from taking any steps on behalf of the party, noting the order’s “format and template” was “curious” and similar to a previous one issued by Justice Omotosho in an allied PDP matter.

They argued that the ex parte orders, made when there was no real urgency, “touched directly on and determined the main substance of the suit.”

The motion stressed that the constitutional guarantee of a right to a fair hearing requires an impartial tribunal, and the circumstances “manifestly appear to be unfair.”

However, rhe court held that the motion for recusal was not ripe for hearing as some of the parties had not yet been formally served with the process.

The judge consequently adjourned until January 14, 2026, for hearing of the pending applications and the substantive suit.

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

They are asking the court to: 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 provide security for the plaintiffs to conduct business at the party’s official headquarters, Wadata Plaza and Legacy House.

A counter suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/2520/2025) filed by the Turaki faction, seeking an order directing the police to vacate the party headquarters at Wadata Plaza, was also adjourned by Justice Abdulmalik until January 16, 2026.

Source: Naijanews