The leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suffered another legal setback, as the Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by Senator Adolphus Wabara and seven others seeking recognition of the interim National Working Committee (NWC) led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN).
Despite the ruling, the Wabara-led group has vowed to continue its legal battle at the Supreme Court, insisting that it will not abandon its quest for justice and what it described as the protection of multiparty democracy in Nigeria.
The appeal, marked CA/ABJ/CV/1221/2026, was filed by Wabara and seven others, including members of the PDP Board of Trustees and some founding members, against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and six other respondents.
The appellants had approached the appellate court to challenge the judgment of the Federal High Court, which refused to compel INEC to recognise the Turaki-led interim NWC.
The committee was constituted following a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting convened after the Supreme Court’s judgment on the PDP leadership dispute.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice Ugochukwu Anthony Ogakwu, with Justices Laja Balogun and Ruqayat Oremei Ayoola as members, upheld the decision of the Federal High Court and dismissed the appeal.
In its reaction, the group said the judgment would not discourage it from pursuing the matter to the highest court in the country.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Interim NWC, Comrade Ini Ememobong, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday, adding that the group’s lawyers had been directed to immediately file an appeal at the Supreme Court.
“While we respect the judgment of the court, we are determined to take our quest for justice anchored on truth to the apex court in the land,” he said.
Ememobong maintained that the group remained convinced that its position would eventually receive judicial consideration, expressing confidence that persistence would bring the truth to light.
“It is our belief that no matter how deep the truth is buried, if those seeking it are persistent in digging, it will one day resurface,” the statement added.
Beyond the court battle, the group used the opportunity to raise concerns about the future of opposition politics in Nigeria, warning that the PDP must not lose its independence or become an extension of the ruling party.
According to Ememobong, the party has a responsibility to provide Nigerians with a credible alternative and strengthen democratic accountability through effective opposition.
“The Peoples Democratic Party must as an opposition party, offer alternative to the ruling party, and not become an appendage of it. Democracy survives only when the opposition is strong enough to effectively engage the government,” he stated.
He also appealed to party members to remain committed despite the latest judicial setback, assuring them that the group remained optimistic about securing justice at the Supreme Court.
The statement further described the ongoing struggle as one with implications beyond the immediate leadership dispute, particularly for the survival of opposition politics and multiparty democracy.
“We urge all or members to remain firm and resolute as we approach the highest court of the land. We trust that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that when this victory is finally won, the pains we are passing through will make a good story for the survival of multiparty democracy and the next generation,” Ememobong said.
The latest judgment adds another chapter to the PDP’s prolonged leadership crisis, which has generated competing claims, court cases and uncertainty over the party’s national leadership.
With the Wabara-led group preparing to approach the Supreme Court, the dispute over the recognition of the Turaki-led interim NWC remains unresolved.
