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• INEC recognises Wike-backed national leadership
• Supreme Court’ll have final say on crisis – Turaki-led NWC
By Chinelo Obogo, Ndubuisi Orji and Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
The Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, has restrained the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Turaki from accessing the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
The court also directed security agencies, including the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and the Department of State Services (DSS), to provide adequate protection for the Wike-led faction while accessing the secretariat.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik issued 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.
In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik declared the national convention purportedly held by the Turaki-led faction on November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State as well as the election of party officials conducted therein a nullity. She held that the exercise violated subsisting court orders, Section 287(3) of the Nigerian Constitution (as amended), and the PDP constitution.
The judge further described the expulsion of Wike and his allies during the convention as a direct affront to existing court orders and democratic principles.
“I considered the expulsion of the members of the plaintiffs as not only an affront to the subsisting judgment, but also a direct assault to a democratic and principled society,” she said, adding that such actions have no place in a system governed by the rule of law.
Justice Abdulmalik ruled that all proceedings, resolutions, and decisions taken at the said convention, including the suspension of members aligned with the plaintiffs, were unconstitutional, unlawful, null and void, and of no effect.
The suit was instituted by a faction of the PDP led by its acting National Chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Abdulrahman, alongside Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the factional National Secretary. The plaintiffs sought, among other reliefs, to prevent the police and DSS from granting the Turaki-led leadership access to the party’s national secretariat at Wadata Plaza, Abuja.
They also requested an injunction restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting any office address from the Turaki-led leadership other than the one already on record, as well as an order barring the faction from parading itself as the legitimate leadership of the PDP.
Earlier in the proceedings, Justice Abdulmalik had granted an ex parte order directing all parties to maintain the status quo pending the hearing and determination of the suit. Dissatisfied with the ruling, the Turaki-led faction appealed the decision and filed an application seeking a stay of proceedings pending the outcome at the Court of Appeal.
The faction also filed a motion requesting the judge to recuse herself from the case, alleging a likelihood of bias in the handling of the matter.
However, in her judgment, Justice Abdulmalik dismissed the allegation, stating that claims of bias must be supported by credible evidence and not mere suspicion.
She noted that “likelihood of bias” is a subjective state of mind that requires cogent and verifiable proof, adding that she found no evidence to substantiate the claim. The judge also clarified that the grant of an ex parte order does not amount to bias.
On the request to transfer the case to the Chief Judge for reassignment, she held that only the Chief Judge has the authority to assign cases, stressing that it is not within the prerogative of counsel to determine which judge hears a matter. Consequently, the application for recusal was refused for lacking merit.
The court also dismissed objections challenging its jurisdiction and the competence of the suit. The defendants had argued that the matter was an internal party dispute, an abuse of court process, and that the plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to institute the case.
Justice Abdulmalik, however, held that jurisdiction is fundamental and must be determined based on the originating processes. She found that the issues raised involved the interpretation and enforcement of constitutional and statutory provisions, as well as compliance with existing court judgments, thereby bringing the matter within the court’s jurisdiction.
“The defendants are bound to comply with and give full effect to the subsisting judgments of the Federal High Court earlier referred to,” she ruled.
She further declared that the defendants were not entitled to recognise or give effect to the outcomes of the November 2025 convention, reiterating that the exercise, including the election of officers and suspension of members, was unconstitutional and void.
The court affirmed that the Wike-led faction is entitled to remain in office and continue to occupy and utilise the party’s national secretariat and properties.
The ruling comes amid a deepening leadership crisis within the PDP. On Sunday, the Wike-led faction held a separate national convention at which Abdulrahman emerged as the substantive National Chairman.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has updated its official website to reflect a new leadership of the PDP backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Checks on the electoral body’s portal confirm that Abdulrahman Mohammed has been listed as the National Chairman of the party, alongside other members of the newly constituted NWC. Their recognition follows their emergence at a national convention held last Sunday at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium velodrome in Abuja.
Members of the NWC now recognised by INEC include Abdulrahman Mohammed as National Chairman, Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary, Ahmed Mohammed as National Treasurer, Daniel Woyengikuro as National Financial Secretary, and Kamaldeen Adeyemi Ajibade as National Legal Adviser.
The development comes amid an ongoing leadership tussle within the PDP. A rival faction led by former minister Kabiru Turaki had approached the Supreme Court seeking to restrain the Wike-backed camp from conducting the convention, arguing that the exercise lacked the legal and constitutional backing required under the party’s guidelines.
Findings indicate that INEC has now updated its records to reflect the outcome of the convention, effectively recognising the new leadership.
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•Eyes on Supreme Court
National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP led by Tanimu Turaki has declared that the Supreme Court will have the final say on the protracted leadership crisis rocking the opposition party.
The National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, made this known in a statement issued in reaction to the national convention organised in Abuja on Sunday by a rival bloc loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
According to the Turaki-led NWC, it has already approached the apex court and is confident that the matter will be resolved expeditiously.
The faction reassured party members and Nigerians that it had taken the dispute to the Supreme Court for determination of all issues relating to the party’s leadership, particularly on what constitutes an internal party affair.
“With this appeal and the relevant concomitant applications filed and served on all parties involved, we are hopeful that sooner rather than later, the apex court will, in the interest of democracy, expeditiously hear and adjudicate on this matter.”
Ememobong added that the opposing faction had been duly served with court processes, stressing that the validity of the Abuja convention is now before the courts.
The Turaki bloc also reacted to the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered by Justice Abdulmalik, which granted the Wike-backed faction access to the PDP national secretariat and directed security agencies to provide them protection.
Describing the judgment as expected, the faction disclosed that it had instructed its lawyers to file an appeal and other necessary applications challenging the ruling.
Ememobong acknowledged that the party was going through difficult times, noting that the crisis extends beyond the PDP to affect the broader opposition landscape in Nigeria.
The Turaki-led NWC further accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of orchestrating the crisis within the PDP, claiming it was driven by fears of a viable opposition ahead of future elections.
According to the statement, the alleged fear stems from anticipated public dissatisfaction with the government’s performance in critical areas such as security, the economy, and social welfare.
The faction urged party members and Nigerians to remain hopeful, expressing confidence that the Supreme Court would uphold constitutional democracy and provide clarity on the issues before it.
“The Supreme Court now has the historic opportunity to uphold and defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its earlier decisions on the jurisdiction of courts in internal affairs of political parties, when it has its final say,” the statement added.
•Ratification of congresses sign party united, prepared for 2027 –Natasha
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has said the ratification of congresses across all levels of the PDP demonstrates that the opposition party is united, reorganised and positioned for the 2027 general elections.
The lawmaker representing Kogi Central made the assertion after sponsoring a motion at the just-concluded 2026 PDP National Convention in Abuja. At the convention, delegates unanimously endorsed ward, local government, state, and zonal congresses conducted nationwide.
In a statement issued Monday by her media office, Akpoti-Uduaghan described the ratification as a crucial step toward strengthening the party’s internal democracy and institutional framework.
“The ratification of these congresses is not merely procedural; it is a reaffirmation of our collective commitment to internal democracy, party discipline, and respect for due process,” she said. “The PDP remains a party governed by rules, consultations, and the will of its members at all levels.”
Thousands of delegates at the convention overwhelmingly approved the motion by voice. The motion sought validation of the congresses conducted in various states. This was in line with resolutions of the National Executive Committee (NEC), recommendations of the National Caretaker Working Committee (NCWC), and compliance with court judgments and the party’s constitution.
Submissions presented at the convention indicated that congresses conducted in states including Abia, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Cross River, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Nasarawa, Ogun, Osun, Niger, Rivers, and the Federal Capital Territory were formally endorsed.
Similarly, the convention approved repeat congresses held in Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara.
Akpoti-Uduaghan urged party members to view the exercise as a foundation for rebuilding trust and strengthening grassroots participation nationwide.
“Our strength as a political party lies in the credibility of our structures from the ward level upward. By ratifying these congresses, we are sending a clear message that the PDP is united, organised, and prepared for the democratic responsibilities ahead,” she said.
The senator noted that the adoption of the motion marked a defining moment of the convention, reflecting renewed cohesion within the party after months of consultations and reconciliation among stakeholders.
She called for sustained unity, urging members to place the collective interest of the party above personal ambitions.
“The task before us is bigger than any single person. Together, we must rebuild trust, deepen inclusion, and position the PDP as the credible alternative Nigerians are looking toward,” she added.
The PDP’s ratification of its congresses is expected to stabilise leadership structures across the country and enhance the party’s organisational readiness as political activities gradually gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.
