March 30, (THEWILL) — The leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened on Monday, following a Federal High Court ruling granting a faction allegedly aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, access to the party’s national secretariat, even as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) formally recognised the same bloc as the party’s leadership.
The judgement, delivered by Justice Abdulmalik in Abuja, directed security agencies to protect the faction while occupying the secretariat—an order that effectively shifts control of the PDP’s administrative headquarters to the Wike-backed camp.
In a parallel move that could prove even more consequential, INEC updated its official website on Monday to reflect the leadership of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) aligned with Wike. The electoral body listed Abdulrahman Mohammed as National Chairman and Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary, alongside other members of the faction who emerged during a National Convention held Sunday night in Abuja.
The Aminu Turaki-led PDP leadership swiftly rejected both developments, describing the court ruling as tainted by bias and politically motivated. The party disclosed that it had earlier sought the recusal of Justice Abdulmalik on grounds of alleged partiality, but said the outcome did not come as a surprise.
According to a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the Turaki-led PDP has directed its legal team to immediately file an appeal against the Federal High Court judgement and pursue all necessary legal steps to challenge what it termed an unlawful occupation of its secretariat.
The party further accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of backing the faction in a broader attempt to weaken the opposition and tilt Nigeria toward a one-party state, an allegation that adds a political dimension to the already complex legal dispute.
Despite the setbacks, the Turaki-led PDP insisted that the matter remains far from resolved, noting that multiple suits and appeals are pending before higher courts, including the Supreme Court. They expressed confidence that the judiciary would ultimately clarify the issues and uphold constitutional principles governing internal party affairs.
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