The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed January 23rd 2025, for the hearing of an application for stay of further proceedings filed by the Kabiru Turaki-led Peoples Democratic Party, against a suit instituted by the faction aligned with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik adjourned the matter on Wednesday to enable counsel for the plaintiffs, Onyechi Ikpeazu, respond to the stay application.
The Wike-led PDP, through its acting National Chairman, Mohammed Abdulrahman and factional National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, had filed the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2501/2025.
They are seeking an order restraining the Turaki-led leadership, listed as 5th to 25th defendants, from parading themselves as representatives of the PDP and stopping the police and the Department of State Services from allowing them access to the party’s national secretariat at Wadata Plaza, Abuja.
The plaintiffs also asked the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission from accepting any office address from the Turaki faction other than the one already in its records, and to declare that INEC, the police and the DSS are bound to enforce earlier judgments and rulings delivered by Justices James Omotosho and Peter Lifu.
Justice Abdulmalik had earlier granted an ex-parte order directing parties not to take any step pending the determination of the suit.
The Turaki-led PDP appealed the decision and filed a motion for stay of proceedings, as well as a motion on notice asking the judge to recuse herself on grounds of alleged bias.