PDP Faction Slams Judge for ‘Killing’ Their Case After They Tried to Drop It

The internal war within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a sharp turn into the courtroom this Friday, as one faction accused the judiciary of “unfair play” following a controversial ruling in Abuja.

The Kabiru Turaki-led group, which is currently fighting for control of the party, expressed shock after Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court decided to “dismiss” a suit they had already asked to withdraw. In legal terms, “dismissing” a case is like a death sentence for that specific legal move, it means it cannot be brought back to life, whereas “striking it out” would have left the door open for a future return.

The suit in question was an attempt by the Turaki faction to get the Police and the DSS to stop blocking them from entering the PDP National Secretariat at Wadata Plaza. When the faction’s lawyers told the court they wanted to withdraw the motion, they expected a standard “strike out” order. Instead, the judge’s decision to dismiss it has fueled fears within the party that the court may not be acting as a neutral referee.

“This again makes us fear for the fairness of this court,” a spokesperson for the faction remarked, hinting that the judge’s “harsh” conduct is exactly why they previously asked her to step down from the case entirely.

While that specific motion is now dead, the bigger battle over who truly leads the PDP is currently on “pause.” Justice Abdulmalik agreed to stop further hearings on the leadership crisis until the Court of Appeal decides if she is the right person to handle the matter.

For the Wike-aligned camp, the dismissal is seen as a win, with their representatives mocking the other side for “wasting the court’s time.” But for the Turaki-led faction, the fight is far from over. They are now taking their grievances to higher authorities, insisting that the “conduct” of the trial court is standing in the way of true justice.