The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja Monday barred the Kabiru Turaki-led People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from accessing the Wadata Plaza national secretariat of the party in Abuja.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik gave the order while delivering judgment in a suit filed by a faction of the party loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Also, the court ordered security agencies, including the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Department of State Services (DSS), among others, to adequately protect the Wike-led faction of the PDP while accessing the secretariat.
According to the trial judge, the purported national convention held by the Turaki-led faction on November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital and the election of party officials, against the valid court orders, was a nullity.
This, according to her, violated Section 287(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), as well as the PDP’s constitution.
“I considered the expulsion of the members of the plaintiffs as not only an affront to the subsisting judgement, but also a direct assault on a democratic and principled society,” the judge ruled, stressing that such action had no place under the rule of law regime.
Further to this, the court held that all proceedings, resolutions and decisions taken at the said convention, including the suspension of members of the 1st plaintiff, were unconstitutional, unlawful, null and void, and of no effect.
The Wike faction, led by its acting National Chairman, Mohammed Abdulrahman, and the national secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, had prayed the court to stop the Police and DSS from allowing the rival faction (5th to 25th defendants) access the party’s national secretariat at Wadata Plaza in Abuja.
Similarly, they sought an order of injunction restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting any other office address or any other address from the Turaki-led leadership as the PDP’s office address other than as already contained in the Commission’s records.
Besides, the Wike group sought an order of injunction, restraining the Turaki leadership (5th to 25 defendants) from parading themselves as representatives of the PDP in any capacity whatsoever, among other reliefs.
Following this, Justice Abdulmalik, earlier granted an ex-parte motion brought by the plaintiffs, wherein he directed parties not to take any action pending the hearing and determination of the suit.
Dissatisfied, however, the Turaki-led camp challenged the decision at the Court of Appeal, and also filed an application for the court to stay proceedings in the suit pending the decision of the Court of Appeal.
And in further pursuit of their case, Turaki camp filed a motion on notice asking Justice Abdulmalik to recuse herself from the case on the ground that there was a reasonable and well-founded apprehension of the likelihood of bias against them in the manner the suit had been handled by the judge.
But ruling on this, Justice Abdulmalik held that in line with the Constitution and other enabling statutes, including earlier judgments, the court would not be intimidated to shy away from its duty to do what is just in the circumstances.
He ruled that the main determinant of the case is Section 287(3) of the Constitution, which provides that the decisions of the Federal High Court and other courts established by the Constitution shall be enforced by all authorities and persons across the federation.
“In spite of the judgments which have not been set aside, the 5th to 25th defendants went ahead and organised the convention,” she noted.
She also averred that a party’s Constitution is meant to be followed by its members, and that the issues raised in the originating summons by the plaintiffs were meritorious and granted the declaratory and injunctive reliefs sought.
“The defendants are bound to comply with and give full effect to the subsisting judgments of the Federal High Court earlier referred to.
“The 1st to 4th defendants are not entitled to recognise or give effect, in any manner whatsoever, to the purported national convention held on 15 and 16 November, 2025 by the 5th to 25th defendants and their associates.
“The purported convention, including the election of officers and suspension of members, is unconstitutional, null and void,” the court ruled.
According to her, Justice Abdulmalik said the plaintiffs were entitled to remain in office and continue to use the party’s national secretariat and properties.
…Wike gets INEC’s nod
Meanwhile, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally recognised the Wike-backed faction of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP.
Blueprint observed that in an update published on its website, INEC
listed Abdulrahman as the party’s national chairman.
This followed his emergence as well as others as NWC members at the national convention held Sunday in Abuja.
