The Peoples Democratic Party has raised concerns over the conduct of the Federal High Court, Abuja, after its suit challenging the police blockade of the party’s national secretariat was dismissed despite being formally withdrawn in line with court rules.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said in a statement on Friday that the court’s decision to dismiss the case has deepened the party’s lingering concerns about judicial impartiality.

The party stated, “Before this suit, we had earlier written to the Chief Judge complaining about the obvious partiality of three out of the twelve judges of the Federal High Court in Abuja. In the said letter, we had exhaustively expressed our doubt and complete lack of faith in their capacity to fairly dispense justice in matters where the PDP is involved.

“Despite this information, the Chief Judge still assigned our case to her. When we appeared in the matter, we filed a motion for recusal, asking that Justice Abdulmalik recuse herself from the matter and return the file to the CJ for reassignment. Rather than do the needful, which is to take the motion and rule on it, the judge ruled that she would manage the case in a way convenient for her, which is to take all the motions (including the motion for recusal) alongside the hearing of the case and, at the point of judgment, give her ruling on the motion for recusal before the judgment. This, in our view, defeats fair hearing, as we have indicated our complete loss of trust in her ability to be fair in the matter, or any other matter concerning the PDP.

“To this end, we filed a notice of discontinuance as provided for in Order 50 Rule 2(1) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019, which entitles a plaintiff to withdraw a suit without the leave of the court within fourteen days of the receipt of the last defendant’s statement of defence. It is on record that we filed the notice of discontinuance three days after the statement of defence of the last defendant was filed and served, therefore being securely within the provisions of the rules.

“Today, after our counsel informed the court of our intention to discontinue, citing the relevant rules, the judge listened to arguments by all the counsel in the matter and ruled, dismissing instead of striking out our case. This again exacerbates our party’s subsisting fear about the impartiality of the court.”

The opposition party recalled Justice Niki Tobi’s admonition, urging Nigerian judges to keep a clear and wide separation from politics and politicians.

PDP governors had earlier ratified the Ibadan convention at which Turaki and other members of the National Working Committee were elected for a four-year tenure on November 16.

However, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, alongside his allies Mohammed Abdulrahman and Senator Anyanwu, maintained that they continued to hold office as Acting National Chairman and Acting National Secretary, respectively.

Despite the governors overseeing a smooth transition from former Chairman Umar Damagum to Turaki (SAN) ahead of the expiration of Damagum’s tenure on December 9, the Wike-aligned faction proceeded on December 8 to constitute a 13-member caretaker committee, appointing Mohammed, Anyanwu, and others with a 60-day mandate.

Consequently, attempts by both factions to assume control of the PDP National Headquarters at Wadata Plaza, Abuja, degenerated into violence, prompting the police in November to seal the party’s headquarters and another office in Maitama, Abuja.

In a bid to address the crisis and take over the Secretariat, the Turaki-led National Working Committee filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

On Friday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ordered the dismissal of the case after counsel to the plaintiffs, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, moved a motion to discontinue the suit and urged the court to strike it out. The judge, however, dismissed the matter on the grounds that issues had already been joined.

The plaintiffs, PDP, its National Chairman Kabiru Turaki, and National Secretary Taofeek Arapaja, had, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2520/2025, named the Inspector-General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force as first and second defendants.

They sought, among other reliefs, an order directing the police to vacate the party’s national secretariat at Wadata Plaza, Wuse, Abuja. (The PUNCH)

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