The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed January 23 for hearing on an application to stay further proceedings filed by the Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the ongoing leadership dispute within the party.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik adjourned the case on Wednesday to allow the plaintiffs to respond to an application seeking to halt the proceedings pending the determination of the appeal at the Court of Appeal.
The suit was filed by the Wike-led faction of the PDP, comprising the party's acting national chairman, Mohammed Abdulrahman, and the faction's national secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
The plaintiffs are challenging the legitimacy of the leadership headed by Turaki.
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In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2501/2025, the plaintiffs are seeking injunctive relief to restrain the Turaki-led group from presenting themselves as leaders or representatives of the PDP.
He also asked the court to stop the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) from granting access to the party's national secretariat at Wadata Plaza, Abuja.
The plaintiff sought an order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing or accepting any office address submitted by the Turaki-led faction other than the address already on record.
He also asked the court to declare that INEC, the police and the DSS are constitutionally bound to implement earlier rulings of the Federal High Court delivered by Justices James Omotosho and Peter Lifu.
Justice Abdulmalik had earlier passed an ex-parte order directing all parties to maintain status quo until the case is decided.
The Turaki-led faction later appealed against the verdict and filed an application in the trial court seeking a stay on the proceedings.
When the matter was mentioned on Wednesday, counsel to the Turaki-led faction, Chris Uche, SAN, informed the court that the appeal had been filed at the Court of Appeal and a motion to stay the proceedings was pending.
He argued that once the appeal is filed, the trial court should suspend further proceedings.
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Counsel to the plaintiff, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, argued that the filing of an appeal does not automatically operate as a stay of proceedings.
He said the appeal was against an interim decision and did not affect important issues before the court.
Justice Abdulmalik said the plaintiff was served the stay application a day earlier and directed him to file a formal response. He adjourned the matter till January 23 to hear the application.
The Turaki-led faction has also filed a motion seeking recuse of Justice Abdulmalik from the case and requested that the case be reassigned by the Chief Justice of the Federal High Court.
