Court Bars Turaki Faction from PDP Headquarters

A federal high court in Abuja has restrained a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Turaki from accessing the party’s national secretariat.

Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ruled in favour of PDP members aligned with Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

The court ordered security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services, to provide protection for the Wike-backed group to access and operate from the party’s national headquarters.

Justice Abdulmalik held that the PDP national convention held on November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan, which produced the Turaki-led leadership, was conducted in violation of existing court orders. She ruled that the exercise breached provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the party’s constitution, rendering it invalid.

The court declared that all decisions taken at the convention, including the expulsion of Wike and his allies, have no legal effect. The judge described the expulsions as a violation of subsisting court rulings and inconsistent with democratic principles.

The dispute followed a leadership crisis that escalated in November 2025, when supporters of rival factions clashed at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja over control of the facility.

The suit was filed by Wike’s allies, led by Abdulrahman Mohammed and Samuel Anyanwu, who asked the court to restrain the Turaki faction from representing the party and from accessing its headquarters.

They also sought an order preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising any alternative party address outside what is already contained in its records.

In its judgment, the court dismissed allegations of bias against the judge, stating that no credible evidence was presented. It held that dissatisfaction with earlier rulings is a matter for appeal and not grounds for recusal.

The court found that the Turaki-led faction proceeded with the Ibadan convention despite subsisting court orders, which had also been affirmed by the court of appeal.

It subsequently barred members of the faction from entering or using the PDP secretariat or holding meetings at the premises, and directed security agencies to enforce the order.

The court also restrained the electoral commission from accepting any address for the party other than the one already recognised in its records.