The faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aligned with Kabiru Turaki has condemned the police for unsealing the party's national secretariat in Abuja and handing it over to a rival faction led by Abdulrahman Mohammed. The handover, which took place on Saturday, included the party's offices at Zone 5, Wuse, and Legacy House in Maitama District. The Turaki faction says the move violates court proceedings, as the leadership dispute remains before the judiciary. The police action followed a judgment by Justice Abdulmalik, which the Turaki faction says has been appealed and is still sub judice.
Ini Ememobong, spokesperson for the Turaki-led group, accused the police of abandoning neutrality and acting in favour of the faction backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. He stated the police, as a party in the case, had been served notice of the appeal and that their actions risk undermining a future Court of Appeal ruling. Ememobong described the conduct as a breach of the rule of law, expressing disappointment that partisanship persists under the new Inspector-General of Police. He urged PDP supporters to remain peaceful while legal remedies are pursued.
The police decision to unseal the PDP secretariat and hand it to a Wike-aligned faction exposes a troubling alignment between law enforcement and political power, with Ini Ememobong's detailed legal objections underscoring that this is not merely a property dispute but a test of institutional integrity. That the police acted despite a pending appeal — one in which they are formally involved — suggests a willingness to preempt judicial outcomes, raising serious concerns about their role as neutral enforcers.
This episode fits within a broader pattern where state institutions are drawn into internal party conflicts, often to the advantage of those with proximity to executive authority. The Turaki faction's argument that the police are aiding "APC apologists" points to an underlying fear: that the PDP's internal rift is being exploited to legitimise external influence, particularly from a high-profile minister like Wike. The reference to a "state-sponsored persecution" narrative reveals deep distrust in the fairness of institutional processes.
Ordinary PDP members, particularly grassroots organisers and party staff in Abuja, now face uncertainty over access to official spaces and the legitimacy of competing leadership claims. Their ability to operate without disruption depends not on internal party democracy but on which faction holds institutional favour.
This is not an isolated incident but part of a recurring dynamic where control of party symbols and offices becomes a proxy battle shaped by police action and judicial timing — a pattern that weakens party autonomy and public faith in due process.
