The leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a new turn as the Kabiru Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee (NWC) announced plans to appeal the Federal High Court judgment striking out its suit seeking official recognition.
The faction insisted that the legal battle over the party’s leadership was far from over and vowed to challenge the ruling at the appellate court.
Justice Salim Ibrahim of the Federal High Court in Abuja had dismissed the suit filed by the Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees and other party stakeholders, holding that the matter concerned the internal affairs of the PDP and was therefore outside the court’s jurisdiction.
The court upheld the preliminary objections raised by the defendants before striking out the case.
Reacting to the judgment, the Turaki-led faction, through its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, expressed disagreement with the ruling, arguing that it was inconsistent with existing judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
The faction maintained that the trial court erred in declining jurisdiction and announced that its legal team had been instructed to immediately file an appeal against both the judgment and the accompanying rulings.
According to Ememobong, the group remains optimistic that the appellate courts will overturn the decision and uphold what it described as the principles of justice, constitutional order and internal democracy within the PDP.
He added that while the struggle for recognition may be prolonged, the faction remains convinced that it will ultimately prevail through the judicial process.
The latest development further highlights the lingering leadership dispute within the opposition party, as rival groups continue to battle for control ahead of future political contests.
