The People's Democratic Party (PDP) National Secretariat in Abuja has been handed over to the faction led by National Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed following a Court of Appeal judgment on March 9. The ruling nullified the November 16 Ibadan convention backed by governors Seyi Makinde and Bala Mohammed, affirming the legitimacy of the Wike-aligned NWC. The Nigeria Police Force unsealed Wadata Plaza and The Legacy House, Maitama, and transferred control to Mohammed and National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyawu. The PDP's National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, said the party would not tolerate disruptions at the secretariat, warning that security agencies are on alert. The faction praised the police for professionalism and respect for due process. It also commended Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, as National Leader, acknowledging his role in guiding the party through the crisis. In response, the Tanimu Turaki (SAN)-led faction termed the police action "contemptuous." Through its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, it claimed the handover occurred despite a pending appeal against the March 9 judgment. The Turaki faction alleged the police aided a takeover by "APC apologists masquerading as PDP members."
The physical handover of the PDP secretariat to Abdulrahman Mohammed's faction marks a decisive institutional win for Nyesom Wike, who now exercises control over the party's national machinery without holding an elected national position. This outcome underscores how influence within Nigeria's major parties increasingly hinges on access to executive power and judicial navigation rather than internal democracy.
The crisis reflects deeper fractures between state-level actors and a central leadership backed by federal connections. The Turaki faction's claim that the March 9 judgment is under appeal introduces legal uncertainty, yet the police enforcement of the ruling suggests which side currently commands institutional obedience. The invocation of "APC apologists" by the losing faction reveals a narrative of infiltration, common in party takeovers where legitimacy is contested.
For rank-and-file PDP members, especially in states governed by the Turaki-aligned bloc, this shift could mean marginalisation in national decision-making, candidate selection, and resource allocation. The concentration of party assets in loyalist hands may deepen disaffection among members who see the process as judicially enabled but politically lopsided.
This episode fits a recurring pattern in Nigerian politics: internal party disputes resolved not through dialogue but through court-backed enforcement, often favouring factions with proximity to federal authority.
