By John Azu
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed an appeal filed by the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Senator Adolphus Wabara, challenging the recognition of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) led by Abdulrahman Mohammed.
A three-member panel of the appellate court, presided over by Justice Ugochukwu Ogakwu, on Wednesday affirmed an earlier judgment of the Federal High Court recognising the Mohammed-led NWC.
The panel, which included Justices Laja Balogun and Ruqayyat Oremei Ayoola, rejected the appeal by the Wabara-led BoT and the faction led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), which had sought to overturn the lower court’s decision.
The dispute followed the Supreme Court judgment of April 30, which nullified the election of the Turaki-led faction at the PDP national convention held in Ibadan on November 16, 2025, over alleged violation of a subsisting court order.
Following the judgment, the Wabara-led BoT approached the Federal High Court, seeking recognition for the Turaki-led NWC.
The faction had argued that the Independent National Electoral Commission’s refusal to recognise the interim leadership could adversely affect the party’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Those who joined Wabara in the suit included the BoT Secretary and former Niger State Governor, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu; former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana; PDP chieftain, Chief Bode George; former ministers Maryam Ciroma and Zainab Maina; and BoT and National Executive Committee member, Dame Esther Uduehi.
The faction has vowed to challenge the Court of Appeal’s decision at the Supreme Court.