The Kabiru Turaki (SAN)-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking a court order directing the Inspector-General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force to unseal and vacate the party’s national secretariat and other offices nationwide.
The application, filed through lead counsel Chief Chris Uche (SAN), seeks a mandatory injunction compelling the police to remove all barricades, unseal, and withdraw from the PDP headquarters at Wadata Plaza, Abuja, and its annex, “Legacy House,” in Maitama, pending the determination of the suit. The plaintiffs also want the court to restrain the police from restricting access to any PDP offices across the 36 states.
The PDP secretariat was sealed in November after clashes between the Turaki-led faction and the faction aligned with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. The confrontation arose when both factions planned meetings at the headquarters on the same day, leading to police intervention, tear gas deployment, and barricading of the premises.
Turaki emerged as national chairman at a November convention in Ibadan, which the Wike-aligned faction rejected, citing existing court orders restraining the PDP from holding the exercise. The party subsequently announced the expulsion of Wike, national secretary Samuel Anyanwu, factional chairman Mohammed Abdulrahman, and eight others over alleged anti-party activities.
The plaintiffs argued that the police acted without lawful authority, disrupting party operations, including administration, policy formulation, membership management, and election preparations. They contended that monetary damages would be inadequate and urged the court to grant the application in the interest of justice, noting that the police are expected to act impartially under the Nigeria Police Act 2020.
