The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a new turn on Friday as the faction loyal to Kabiru Turaki (SAN) formally requested Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja to withdraw from hearing the ongoing leadership dispute.
The request was made through a motion filed in the suit FHC/ABJ/CS/2501/2025, which challenges the validity of the PDP National Convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Justice Abdulmalik postponed further hearings on all applications and the main suit to January 14, 2026.
Turaki Camp Alleges Bias
A group of seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria, led by Chief Chris Uche, filed the recusal motion on behalf of former Acting National Chairman Ambassador Umar Damagum and other officials who emerged from the Ibadan convention (listed as the 5th to 25th defendants).
They claim the judge’s past actions create “a reasonable and well-founded fear of bias”, arguing that certain decisions made during the proceedings have raised concerns about fairness.
Before the case reached the court, the Turaki group had already written to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court asking that disputes connected to PDP's internal affairs should not be assigned to Justice Abdulmalik or two other judges due to “past experiences and perceived bias.”
Despite this request, the case was still allocated to her.
Their major grievance is that although the judge rejected an ex parte application filed by the Wike-aligned camp, she later granted a separate ex parte order on November 25, 2025, against the Turaki group.
That order temporarily stopped them from taking any official action on behalf of the party.
They described the order as “suspicious,” alleging that its structure resembled a previous ruling issued by Justice Omotosho in another PDP case. They also insist that the ex parte order touched on the substantive issues of the dispute, even though no urgency justified such a move.
Court Adjourns After Service Issues
Justice Abdulmalik ruled that the recusal application could not yet be heard because some parties had not been properly served with the necessary court documents.
She adjourned the matter to January 14, 2026, for a full hearing on all pending applications—including the motion asking her to step aside.
What the Wike-Supported Faction Wants
The main suit was filed by the faction aligned with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, with Acting National Chairman Mohammed Abdulrahman and National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu listed as plaintiffs.
They are urging the court to:
- Invalidate the Ibadan convention and all decisions made there
- Stop the Turaki-led officers from presenting themselves as PDP leaders
- Prevent INEC from recognizing the Ibadan-elected officials
- Direct the IGP, the FCT Police Commissioner, and the DSS to provide protection for their faction to operate from Wadata Plaza and Legacy House, the party’s official secretariats
Counter-Suit Also Adjourned
In a separate case, FHC/ABJ/CS/2520/2025, the Turaki faction is asking the court to order the police to vacate the PDP headquarters at Wadata Plaza.
Justice Abdulmalik has adjourned that matter to January 16, 2026.
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