On Saturday in Abuja, the faction of the Peoples Democratic Party led by Tanimu Turaki criticised the Nigeria Police Force for reopening the party’s national secretariat, saying the action was unlawful and would be challenged in court.
The group said the police unsealed the Wadata Plaza headquarters despite an ongoing legal process, and accused security authorities of taking sides in the party’s internal dispute. It announced plans to seek legal redress, maintaining that the matter is still before the court and should not have been interfered with.
The crisis within the PDP dates back to clashes in November at the party’s national office in Abuja, when two rival factions of the National Working Committee confronted each other. One side is backed by Turaki and supported by figures such as Seyi Makinde and Bala Mohammed, while the opposing group is led by another faction aligned with Nyesom Wike.
Following months of court cases, the Court of Appeal delivered a judgment in March that favoured the Wike-backed camp and set aside a previous convention linked to the governors’ group. After that ruling, the faction aligned with Wike announced that the police had reopened both the Wadata Plaza and Legacy House offices in Abuja and returned them to its control.
While the Wike-aligned leadership welcomed the development and praised the police for acting in line with the law, the Turaki-led faction described the move as improper and accused security operatives of interfering in a matter still under judicial consideration.
The group also urged its members to remain calm and avoid actions that could lead to unrest, stating that it would pursue all available legal means to defend what it described as the rights of its members. It added that it expects the courts to eventually settle the dispute and restore order within the party.