Turaki-led PDP accuses choose of bias

The Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party has requested Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of a Federal Excessive Court docket, Abuja, to recuse herself from listening to a swimsuit filed towards the get together’s management.

Led by Chris Uche, SAN, Turaki’s authorized group argued that there’s a “affordable and well-founded apprehension of bias” in how the matter has been dealt with.

The swimsuit follows an earlier motion by a rival PDP faction aligned with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, led by appearing Nationwide Chairman Alhaji Mohammed Abdulrahman.

Within the swimsuit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2501/2025, the plaintiffs—PDP, Abdulrahman, and factional Nationwide Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu—requested the courtroom to restrain the police and the Division of State Companies from permitting the Turaki-led management entry to the get together’s nationwide secretariat at Wadata Plaza, Abuja.

Filed on November 21, 2025, by Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, the swimsuit listed INEC, the IGP, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, and the DSS as 1st to 4th defendants.

The fifth to twenty fifth defendants included Amb. Umar Damagun, Turaki, Taofeek Arapaja, Alhaji Hamza Kosre, and Dr. Daniel Woyengikuro, amongst others.

The plaintiffs additionally sought to forestall the Turaki-led group from presenting themselves as PDP representatives and requested that INEC acknowledge solely the management recorded in its official data.

Moreover, they urged the courtroom to compel enforcement of earlier Federal Excessive Court docket judgments delivered by Justices James Omotosho and Peter Lifu.

In response, the Turaki-led faction filed a movement requesting “an order for his lordship, Justice Abdulmalik to recuse herself from additional presiding over or taking any additional steps on this swimsuit upon circumstances giving rise to affordable apprehension that the fifth to twenty fifth defendants/candidates won’t obtain a good and neutral listening to earlier than this courtroom.

“An order of this honourable courtroom remitting this swimsuit to the Chief Choose of the Federal Excessive Court docket for re-assignment to a different choose of the Federal Excessive Court docket for dedication on its benefit.”

Uche argued that the case was improperly assigned to Justice Abdulmalik regardless of earlier petitions and letters requesting reassignment attributable to perceived partisanship.

He added that an ex-parte order was issued towards his shoppers on November 25, 2025, in a way resembling earlier orders by Justice Omotosho, regardless of no pressing circumstances.

“On the core, judicial proceedings should not solely be truthful however should manifestly seem truthful. On this case, an inexpensive observer would apprehend bias,” Uche mentioned.

At Friday’s proceedings, Ikpeazu appeared for the plaintiffs, Uche represented the fifth to twenty fifth defendants, and Mimi Ayua appeared for the police.

The choose adjourned the matter to permit events to regularize their filings, fixing January 14, 2026, for the listening to of all pending functions and the substantive swimsuit.

Later, a second swimsuit filed by the Turaki-led faction, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2520/2025, was additionally heard.

In that case, Turaki, Arapaja, and PDP sued the IGP and the Nigeria Police Drive, in search of an order directing law enforcement officials to vacate Wadata Plaza.

Justice Abdulmalik ordered all events to file their processes forward of the subsequent listening to, scheduled for January 16, 2026.