The faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Turaki (SAN) has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order compelling the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Nigeria Police Force to immediately unseal and vacate the party’s national secretariat and other PDP offices across the country.
The request is contained in a Motion on Notice filed by the plaintiffs through their lead counsel, Chief Chris Uche (SAN).
In the application, the plaintiffs are seeking a mandatory injunction directing the police to remove all barricades, unseal the premises, and withdraw from the PDP national headquarters in Abuja.
Recall that the PDP national secretariat was sealed in November following violent clashes between two rival factions of the party—one led by 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 by 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 existing 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 of the federation.
They specifically prayed for an order directing the defendants to immediately remove all barricades, unseal, and vacate the PDP national secretariat at Wadata Plaza, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, including its annex, Legacy House, in Maitama, pending the determination of the suit.
In an affidavit in support of the motion, deposed to by PDP National Secretary Taofik Arapaja, the party alleged that the police invaded and sealed its offices on November 18, 2025, without any lawful authority.
Arapaja said the party had only written to security agencies, including the police and the Department of State Services (DSS), to notify them of an emergency stakeholders’ meeting and request security coverage. He alleged that instead of providing protection, police officers led by the FCT Commissioner of Police fired over 200 tear gas canisters and sealed the premises, denying access to party officials, staff, and visiting governors, including those of Bauchi and Oyo states.
The plaintiffs argued that the continued sealing of the secretariat has crippled the party’s daily operations, including administration, policy formulation, membership management, and preparations for upcoming elections.
They further contended that the Nigeria Police Force, as a statutory body under the Nigeria Police Act 2020, should not 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 compensation would not adequately remedy the damage suffered. According to the plaintiffs, granting the reliefs would serve the interest of justice and prevent the police action from being perceived as having judicial approval.
