IGP Taken to Court by PDP Faction After Secretariat Sealed

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction led by Kabiru Turaki (SAN) has petitioned the Federal High Court in Abuja for an order compelling the Inspector-General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force to promptly unseal and evacuate the party’s national secretariat and other offices across the country.

The plaintiffs’ principal lawyer, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), filed a Motion on Notice that includes the request.

The plaintiffs are requesting a mandatory injunction in the application, which would force the police to take down all barriers, unlock the building, and leave the PDP national offices in Abuja.

It was recalled that the party’s national secretariat was sealed in November following violent clashes between two rival factions of the PDP – one led by Kabiru Turaki and the other aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The confrontation reportedly erupted after both factions scheduled meetings at the party headquarters on the same day.

Police intervened, firing tear gas to disperse party members, after which the premises were locked and barricaded with barbed wire.

The action prevented the Turaki-led National Working Committee from holding its postponed inaugural meeting.

Turaki emerged as national chairman at a PDP national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November.

However, the Wike-aligned faction rejected the convention, insisting that it violated subsisting court orders restraining the party from holding the exercise.

Earlier, Justices James Omotosho and Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had restrained the PDP from holding its national convention scheduled for November 15 and 16, 2025.

In contrast, a High Court in Ibadan later granted the party permission to proceed with the convention through an ex parte order.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/252/2025, instituted by the PDP alongside Turaki and the Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Adolphus Wabara, the plaintiffs are asking the court to restrain the police from invading, sealing or restricting access to any PDP office across the 36 states.

They specifically prayed for: “An order of mandatory injunction directing the defendants to immediately remove all barricades, unseal and vacate forthwith from the 1st plaintiff’s national secretariat at Wadata Plaza, Plot 1970 Michael Okpara Way, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, including its annex, ‘Legacy House’, at Plot 2774 Shehu Shagari Way, Maitama, Abuja, pending the determination of this suit.”

In an affidavit supporting the motion, deposed to by PDP National Secretary, Taofik Arapaja, the party said the police invaded and sealed its offices on November 18, 2025, without any lawful authority.

Arapaja stated that the PDP had merely written to security agencies, including the police and the Department of State Services, to notify them of an emergency stakeholders’ meeting and request security coverage.

He alleged that instead of providing protection, police officers led by the Commissioner of Police, FCT, fired over 200 tear gas canisters and sealed the premises, denying access to party officials, staff and visiting governors, including the governors of Bauchi and Oyo states.

The plaintiffs argued that the continued sealing of the secretariat has paralysed the party’s daily operations, including administration, policy formulation, membership management and election preparations.

They further contended that the Nigeria Police Force, as a statutory body under the Nigeria Police Act 2020, ought not to act in a partisan manner.

The PDP urged the court to grant the application, arguing that the balance of convenience favours the party and that monetary damages would not be an adequate remedy.

According to the plaintiffs, granting the reliefs would serve the interest of justice and prevent the police action from being perceived as sanctioned by the court.