Turaki’s PDP faction heads to Appeal Court after leadership suit dismissal

The Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced plans to challenge the Federal High Court judgment that dismissed its suit seeking official recognition as the party’s Interim National Working Committee. The decision was made on Friday after the court in Abuja ruled that the case could not proceed.

The faction said it would appeal the ruling because it believes the judgment does not reflect previous decisions of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court on issues relating to the party’s leadership. Although it accepted the court’s decision, it maintained that the matter deserves further legal review.

Justice Salim Olasupo Ibrahim struck out the case after agreeing with the preliminary objections raised by the defendants. The court ruled that the dispute involved the internal affairs of the PDP and therefore fell outside its jurisdiction.

Reacting to the judgment, the faction, through its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, said its legal team had already received instructions to begin the appeal process without delay. It expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal would carefully examine the issues raised and reach a different conclusion.

The group insisted that its quest for recognition was based on existing court decisions and argued that its position remained valid despite the latest ruling. It also said it would continue pursuing the matter through every legal channel available.

The leadership dispute has remained one of the major issues affecting the PDP, with different groups laying claim to the party’s National Working Committee. The Turaki-led camp believes the appeal will provide another opportunity for the courts to determine the legal position of the competing claims.

The Federal High Court’s ruling is the latest development in the prolonged leadership crisis within the opposition party, but the planned appeal means the legal battle over the PDP’s leadership is far from over.