A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed July 7 for the hearing of all pending applications and the substantive suit filed by the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, led by former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognize the Kabir Turaki-led interim National Working Committee of the party.
Justice Salim Ibrahim fixed the date on Tuesday after the parties agreed to file and exchange all outstanding processes before the next adjourned date.
The judge directed all parties to file and serve their processes on or before July 6 and warned that no further delay would be entertained when the matter comes up for hearing.
According to The PUNCH, ABNTV reports that the court had, on June 19, ordered an accelerated hearing of the suit after counsel for the plaintiffs, Chief Gordy Uche (SAN), argued that the case was time-sensitive in view of INEC’s timetable for the 2027 general elections.
The plaintiffs, including Wabara, former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, Prof. Jerry Gana, Chief Olabode George, and the PDP, are asking the court to direct INEC to recognize the Turaki-led interim NWC and update the party’s leadership records on its official website.
They also want the commission to accept all communications from the interim leadership, which they said were forwarded to INEC through letters dated May 4.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, Uche urged the court to hear all pending joinder applications alongside the substantive suit to save judicial time and enable his clients to comply with INEC’s electoral timetable.
He said, “The commission has reiterated that its July 11 deadline for the submission of names of candidates is sacrosanct.
“They said the submission started yesterday, and parties have been given the access code, and we also need the access code.”
Describing the request as “a passionate appeal,” Uche urged other counsel not to oppose the application.
Counsel for the PDP, Sunday Ameh (SAN); counsel for INEC, O.A. Adeyemi; Chief Fedinard Orbih (SAN), representing parties seeking to be joined; and Adedayo Adedeji (SAN), appearing for another set of applicants, raised no objection.
