JUSTICE Joyce Abdulmalik of 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 the capital.
The ruling followed a suit filed by members of the party aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
In her judgment, Justice Abdulmalik also directed security agencies, including the police and the Department of State Services, to provide protection for the PDP faction led by Abdulrahman Mohammed while using the secretariat.
The court declared the national convention held by the Turaki-led group in November 2025 in Ibadan invalid, ruling that it violated existing court orders, the Nigerian Constitution, and the party’s constitution.
Consequently, all decisions taken at the convention, including the election of party officials and suspension of members, were nullified.
Justice Abdulmalik further described the expulsion of Wike and his allies during the convention as a direct violation of court orders and an attack on democratic principles, stressing that such actions have no place in a system governed by the rule of law.
The suit, filed by the Abdulrahman-led faction alongside the party and its National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, sought to prevent the Turaki group from presenting themselves as PDP leaders or using any alternative office address beyond what is officially recognised.
In her ruling, the judge upheld all the reliefs sought, affirming that previous court judgments must be obeyed and cannot be disregarded.
She also dismissed claims of bias raised by the Turaki faction, noting that no credible evidence was presented to support the allegation.
Additionally, the court rejected arguments that the matter was purely an internal party issue or that it lacked jurisdiction, maintaining that the case involved constitutional interpretation and enforcement of prior court decisions.
Justice Abdulmalik concluded that the plaintiffs were entitled to continue occupying the party’s national secretariat and conducting its affairs, reinforcing the authority of existing court rulings on the matter.
