By The Metro 
A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled July 7 for the hearing of a suit seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Kabir Turaki-led interim National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Justice Salim Ibrahim fixed the date on Tuesday after parties agreed to file and exchange all outstanding court processes before the next hearing. He also directed that all pending processes be filed and served on or before July 6, warning that no further delay would be entertained.
During the proceedings, counsel to the plaintiffs, Chief Gordy Uche (SAN), urged the court to hear all pending joinder applications together with the substantive suit, arguing that the request would save judicial time and enable his clients to meet INEC’s timetable for the 2027 general elections.
“The commission has reiterated that its July 11 for the submission of names of candidates is sacrosanct.
“They said the submission started yesterday and parties have been given access code and we also need the access code too.”
Other counsel in the matter, including those representing the PDP, INEC and parties seeking to be joined in the suit, did not oppose the request, after which the court adjourned the matter until July 7.
The suit was filed by the PDP Board of Trustees led by former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, alongside former Niger State Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, Prof. Jerry Gana, Chief Olabode George and the PDP.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to direct INEC to recognise the Turaki-led interim NWC, update the party’s leadership records on its official website and accept communications from the interim leadership, which they said were forwarded to the commission through letters dated May 4.
The court had earlier granted an accelerated hearing of the case after the plaintiffs argued that the matter was time-sensitive because of INEC’s electoral timetable.
In the suit, the plaintiffs contend that INEC is constitutionally bound to give effect to judgments of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, which they said invalidated the PDP’s November 2025 national convention and upheld the suspension of some party officials.
In an affidavit supporting the suit, Aliyu alleged that former National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu and three other officials were suspended by the PDP National Working Committee on November 1, 2025, over alleged gross misconduct, anti-party activities and insubordination.
He further claimed that the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court later affirmed the suspensions and nullified the party’s November 15 and 16, 2025 national convention.
According to Aliyu, the PDP Board of Trustees subsequently constituted an interim National Working Committee headed by Turaki pending the conduct of a fresh national convention and notified INEC through letters dated May 4 and May 15.
He alleged that despite receiving the correspondence, INEC failed to update its records or recognise the interim leadership, describing the commission’s action as “a grave affront to the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution.”