Nigeria: Court bars Turaki-led faction from PDP national secretariat

By Zuleihat Owuiye, Mamos Nigeria

A Federal High Court in Abuja has barred the Kabiru Turaki-led faction from accessing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national secretariat. The court also nullified the convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November 2026, through which the Turaki-led national executives emerged.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik held that the convention violated section 287(3) of the 1999 Constitution and the party’s constitution, and restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing the outcome.

The court ordered security agencies to provide protection for the faction of the party aligned with Minister Nyesom Wike to access and operate from the national headquarters.

The Makinde camp has taken the matter to court, challenging the validity of the Wike-backed PDP convention. The group has filed an appeal at the Supreme Court, seeking to resolve the party’s leadership crisis.

The dispute has moved beyond internal party wrangling, becoming a constitutional issue that will determine who leads the PDP and test judicial intervention in party affairs.