The Federal High Court in Abuja has barred the faction of the Peoples Democratic Party led by Kabiru Turaki from accessing the party’s national secretariat, in a ruling that further intensifies the leadership crisis within the opposition party.
Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik granted orders restraining the Turaki-led leadership from entering or operating from the PDP national headquarters in Abuja, while affirming the authority of the rival faction aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The court also directed security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the State Security Service, to provide protection for the Wike-backed faction to enable uninterrupted access to the party’s secretariat and properties.
In a detailed ruling, Justice Abdulmalik declared the national convention organised by the Turaki faction in November 2025 in Ibadan as unconstitutional and void, holding that it was conducted in defiance of existing court orders.
She ruled that all decisions taken at the convention, including the election of party officials and the suspension of certain members, had no legal effect, describing the exercise as a direct violation of Section 287(3) of the Nigerian Constitution and the party’s own constitution.
The judge further condemned the expulsion of Wike and his allies from the party during the disputed convention, describing the action as not only a breach of subsisting court judgments but also a serious affront to democratic principles and the rule of law.
“I considered the expulsion of the members of the plaintiffs as not only an affront to the subsisting judgment, but also a direct assault on a democratic and principled society,” she said, adding that such conduct has no place in a system governed by law.
The suit was instituted by a faction loyal to Wike, led by acting National Chairman Mohammed Abdulrahman and National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, who sought legal protection against what they described as unlawful attempts by the Turaki group to take control of the party’s national structure.
They had asked the court to restrain security agencies from recognising or granting access to the Turaki-led leadership, and to prevent the Independent National Electoral Commission from accepting any alternative address or leadership claims outside its official records.
Justice Abdulmalik upheld their arguments, granting both declaratory and injunctive reliefs, and affirming that the plaintiffs remain the legitimate leadership entitled to operate from the party’s secretariat.
The court also dismissed multiple applications filed by the Turaki faction, including a request for the judge to recuse herself from the case over alleged bias.
In rejecting the application, the judge held that claims of bias must be supported by credible and verifiable evidence, noting that mere suspicion or dissatisfaction with court proceedings does not meet the legal threshold.
She stated that she found no evidence to justify the allegations and emphasised that the granting of earlier ex parte orders did not amount to bias.
Similarly, the court refused an application seeking to halt proceedings pending an appeal, as well as objections challenging the court’s jurisdiction and the plaintiffs’ legal standing.
Justice Abdulmalik held that the matter was properly before the court, as it involved constitutional interpretation, enforcement of existing judgments, and compliance with statutory provisions.
She stressed that jurisdiction is fundamental to any judicial process and must be determined based on the originating claims, which in this case clearly fell within the powers of the court.
The ruling marks a significant development in the protracted leadership crisis within the PDP, which has seen parallel conventions, conflicting court orders, and deepening divisions between rival factions.
Despite earlier judgments in 2025 by separate Federal High Court judges restraining the Turaki group from conducting a convention, the faction proceeded with its gathering in Ibadan, where it announced a new leadership structure.
That move triggered a wave of legal challenges and counter-litigation, further polarising the party ahead of future electoral contests.
With this latest judgment, the court has effectively reinforced the authority of the Wike-backed leadership, while placing legal constraints on the operations of the rival faction.
The decision is expected to shape the next phase of the PDP’s internal battle, even as appeals and political negotiations continue behind the scenes in what remains one of the most closely watched power struggles in Nigeria’s opposition politics.
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