The decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission rejecting the Tanimu Turaki (SAN)-led National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, citing subsisting court judgments and unresolved legal processes, has been described as a sinister plot by INEC in cahoots with the office of President Tinubu and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to cripple constructive and independent opposition political parties to pave way for a smooth ride for the incumbent president comes the 2027 presidential poll.
Frontline pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) stated that it was absolutely ridiculous that the same independent National Electoral Commission which monitored and observed the Ibadan, Oyo state held National convention attended by PDP governors which produced the Tanimu Turaki led National Executive Committee of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, yet INEC is speaking from both sides of their mouth on the authentic leadership of the PDP which HURIWA said is a well arranged dangerous plot by the trio of the presidency, INEC and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Mr. Nyesom Wike to weaken and completely cripple the PDP to stop it from producing a viable presidential candidate to challenge Tinubu of APC in the 2027 poll. Tje Rights organisation also called for the investigation of the allegation made by the Oyo state governor that the FCT minister is executing a plot to destroy the PDP so as to make it easier for Tinubu to have a soft landing in the next Presidential poll.
HURIWA in a media statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko condemned the Independent National Electoral Commission for allowing itself to be deployed by the presidency, the All Progressives Congress, minister of FCT to demolish political opposition in the country just as HURIWA recalled the disclosure by the Oyo state governor that the FCT minister had told the President that he will cripple the PDP. HURIWA has also cautioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to stop forthwith his active agenda to cripple constructive and independent opposition political parties in the countries. “Why is President Tinubu afraid to have strong personalities contest against him in 2027? Isn’t true that clear conscience fears no accusations? So let the President rely on his milestones to campaign for reelection rather than seeking to come from the backdoor to win a manipulated election in 2027.
HURIWA said it is incredibly unbelievable that INEC could play along with some politicians like Nyesom Wike who alongside a few allies duly expelled by the authentic leadership of the PDP headed by Tanimu Turaki, have held meetings inside the dining room of the serving minister of the FCT just as the Rights group condemned the Federal High Court for accepting landed and housing assets as gifts from the FCT ministry and at the same time always designating particular judges in Abuja to handle cases filed by the allies of the FCT minister which have all been decided in their favour. “The Federal High Court hierarchy is gravely compromised and this is why only same few judges Working openly for the FCT ministerial interest are often assigned cases by the Tanimu Turaki led leadership of PDP which had duly expelled Wike and his acolytes.
“INEC officials ought to have awaited for the judgment of the Court of Appeal before jumping to conclude that it wouldn’t recognise the Tanimu Turaki led hierarchy of PDP which enjoys the backing of the highest ranking political office holders in the party platform who are governors of their Federating units.
The Rights group in a statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko noted that while the governors facilitated a smooth handover from former chairman Umar Damagum to Turaki before Damagum’s tenure officially ended on December 9, the Wike-aligned faction went ahead on December 8 to appoint Mohammed, Anyanwu, and others as 13 members of a 60-day caretaker committee, which HURIWA concluded is part of the larger sinister plots to physically and practically kill off PDP a campaign and a well funded initiative backed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is mortally scared of vibrant opposition presidential candidates to face him in the 2027 election.
HURIWA recalled that INEC, in a letter dated December 22 and addressed to the Turaki-led NWC lawyers, Akintayo Balogun & Co, and signed by Dr Rose Oriaran-Anthony, Secretary to the Commission, titled “Re: Demand for Recognition and Update of the List of the National Officers Elected at the Purported 2025 Elective National Convention of PDP,” obtained by The PUNCH on Tuesday, stated that it could not recognise or update the list of PDP national officers allegedly elected at the November convention, citing adherence to the law and existing court orders.
The letter read in part: “The commission has carefully considered the demands in the light of all material facts, extant laws, and most importantly, subsisting court judgments touching directly on the subject matter.
“You may wish to note that there are two subsisting final judgments of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, namely: Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, Austine Nwachukwu & 2 Ors. v. INEC & 8 Ors., delivered on October 31, 2025; and Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2299/2025, Alhaji Sule Lamido v. PDP & 4 Ors., delivered on November 14, 2025.
“Both judgments, which are final in nature and binding on all parties, expressly restrained the commission from supervising, monitoring, recognising, or in any manner whatsoever accepting the outcome of the PDP National Convention held on November 15 and 16, 2025, or any other date, pending compliance with the orders of the court.
“While the commission is aware that notices of appeal have been filed against the said judgments, it is settled law that the mere filing of an appeal does not operate as a stay of execution. Until the said judgments are set aside or stayed by a competent court, the commission remains bound to obey and give full effect to them, in line with Section 287(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).”
The commission further highlighted the interim orders issued by the High Court of Oyo State in Suit No. 1/1336/2025, Folahan Malomo Adelabi v. PDP & Ors., noting that its name had been removed from the suit due to lack of jurisdiction. It added that, in any case, an interim order could not override or nullify existing final judgments of courts of equal or higher authority.
It stated in part: “In addition, there is also a suit filed by your client in Suit No. FHC/IB/CS/121/2025, PDP v. INEC, wherein it sought an order mandating the commission to recognise the National Working Committee and members of the National Executive Committee elected by the National Convention of the PDP held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, 2025, as the Executive Committee of the PDP in all matters pertaining to her, including the conduct of primary elections for political offices and the submission of PDP’s list of candidates for any election to be conducted by the commission.
HURIWA however accused the leadership of INEC of conniving with President Tinubu, the APC and the Minister of FCT of carrying out a well orchestrated campaign of demolition and destruction of the PDP just as the Rights group warned that should President Tinubu and his acolytes succeed in killing off the PDP, then constitutional democracy may die before the 2027 General poll. We are warning the Professor Amupitan led INEC to thread softly and be truly independent or risked destroying Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.
