INEC recognises Wike-backed PDP NWC

•Court bars Turaki-led PDP faction from accessing national secretariat
•Makinde’s camp banks on Supreme Court, dismisses outcome of Wike-backed convention
•Slams federal high court judge for ordering reopening of Wadata Plaza

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally recognised the faction of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

 The commission updated its official website on Monday to reflect the development, listing a new leadership structure for the opposition party.

Abdulrahman Mohammed was named National Chairman, while Samuel Anyanwu was listed as National Secretary.

The three other NWC members of the party as published on INEC’s website included National Treasurer Hon. Ahmed Yayari Mohammed, National Financial Secretary Daniel Woyengikuro, and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Adeyemi Ajibade, SAN.

 However, names of Odeyemei Mackson Oladiran and Eyim Donatus Henry, elected on Sunday as National Treasurer and National Financial Secretary respectively, were not listed on the INEC website.

Instead, Mohammed and Woyengikuro were mentioned as national treasurer and national financial secretary.

Mohammed and Anyanwu emerged through a consensus, along with 19 other members, at the party’s 2026 national convention held at the velodrome of the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja on Sunday.

   Court bars Turaki-led PDP faction from accessing national secretariat

Meanwhile, the Federal High Court (FHC) in Abuja, on Monday, restrained the leadership of the PDP led by Kabiru Turaki from gaining access to the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik made the order while delivering judgment in a suit instituted by a faction of the party loyal to Wike.

Justice Abdulmalik also ordered the security agencies, including the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Department of State Services (DSS), among others, to give adequate protection to Wike-led faction of the PDP while accessing the secretariat.

The judge held that the purported national convention held by the Turaki-led faction on November 15 and 16, 2025 in Ibadan and the election of party’s officials, against the valid court orders, was a nullity.

She said the convention violated Section 287(3) of the Nigerian Constitution (as amended), as well as the PDP’s constitution.

She described the expulsion of Wike and his allies from the party during the 2025 convention as an affront to the order of court.

“I considered the expulsion of the members of the plaintiffs as not only an affront to the subsisting judgement, but also a direct assault to a democratic and principled society,” the judge said.

She said such action had no place where the rule of law is in practice.

According to the judge, all proceedings, resolutions and decisions taken at the said convention, including the suspension of members of the 1st plaintiff, were unconstitutional, unlawful, null and void, and of no effect.

The Wike camp, led by its acting National Chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Abdulrahman, had filed the suit.

In the suit, the PDP, Abdulrahman and Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the factional National Secretary, had prayed the court to stop the police and DSS from allowing Turaki-led leadership (5th to 25th defendants) access to the party’s national secretariat at Wadara Plaza in Abuja.

They also sought an order of injunction, restraining INEC from accepting any other office address or any other address from the Turaki-led leadership as the PDP’s office address other than as already contained in the commission’s records.

They sought an order of injunction, restraining the Turaki leadership from parading themselves as representatives of the PDP in any capacity whatsoever, among other reliefs.

Justice Abdulmalik had earlier granted an ex parte motion brought by the plaintiffs directing parties not to take any action pending the hearing and determination of the suit.

Following the order, the Turaki-led chairman of the PDP challenged the decision at the Court of Appeal.

 Justice Abduly, who ruled on the case held that, in line with the Constitution and other enabling statutes, including earlier judgments, it would not shy away from its duty to do what is just in the circumstances.

The judge said that the main determinant of the case is Section 287(3) of the Constitution, which provides that the decisions of the Federal High Court and other courts established by the constitution shall be enforced by all authorities and persons across the federation.

She observed that “in spite of the judgments which have not been set aside, the 5th to 25th defendants went ahead and organised the convention.”

READ ALSO: PDP convention will show party is still alive, set for comeback — Wike

She added that those same judgments had also been affirmed by the Court of Appeal.

She further cited that a party’s constitution is meant to be followed by its members; hence, the issues raised in the originating summons by the plaintiffs were meritorious.

She, therefore, granted the declaratory and injunctive reliefs sought.

“The defendants are bound to comply with and give full effect to the subsisting judgments of the Federal High Court earlier referred to.

“The 1st to 4th defendants are not entitled to recognise or give effect, in any manner whatsoever, to the purported national convention held on 15 and 16 November, 2025 by the 5th to 25th defendants and their associates.

“The purported convention, including the election of officers and suspension of members, is unconstitutional, null and void,” she ruled.

Justice Abdulmalik said the plaintiffs (Wike faction) are entitled to remain in office and continue to use the party’s national secretariat and properties.

On the application filed for the judge to recuse herself from the case, Justice Abdulmalik held that the Turaki-led faction failed to substantiate the argument with evidence that the court was biased.

The judge observed that claims of a “likelihood of bias” are “a state of mind, incapable of precise definition,” and must be supported by “cogent and credible evidence.”

The judge said she found “no shred of evidence” to justify the allegation and stressed that the mere grant of ex parte order did not amount to bias.

On the request to transfer the case back to the chief judge (CJ) for reassignment, she held that the power to assign cases lies with the CJ and that it is “not the place of counsel to determine which judge will hear and determine their case.”

Justice Abdulmalik further stated that any dissatisfaction with her decisions is a matter for appeal, not recusal, and consequently refused the application for lack of merit.

On the motion challenging the competence of the suit, the judge also declined to strike out the case.

She rejected the arguments that the court lacked jurisdiction and that the plaintiffs had no locus standi.

The defendants had argued that the dispute was purely an internal party affair, an abuse of court process, and that the plaintiffs lacked the legal right to institute the suit.

In her decision, the judge held that “jurisdiction is the livewire and pillar upon which any matter can be determined” and must be assessed based on the originating processes.

She found that the claims involved the interpretation and enforcement of constitutional and statutory provisions, as well as compliance with earlier court judgments.

She, therefore, agreed with the plaintiffs that the suit was within the court’s jurisdiction.

The judge, who held that the objections raised by the defendants lacked merit, dismissed the application in its entirety.

Justice James Omotosho and Justice Peter Lifu of the FHC in Abuja had, in separate judgments in 2025, barred the PDP leadership led by Turaki from holding its national convention.

There were also counter-decisions from the Oyo State High Court.

Despite these rulings, the Turaki-led faction proceeded with the convention, which produced Turaki as national chairman of the party, alongside other national officers.

Apart from electing the party’s NWC, the convention also suspended some allies of the FCT minister over alleged anti-party activities.

Makinde’s camp banks on Supreme Court, dismisses outcome of Wike-backed convention

However, the Tanimu Turaki-led PDP said on Monday that the Supreme Court had a “historic opportunity” of saving the country’s democracy through its pending decision on the lingering leadership crisis in the party.

The camp was reacting to Sunday’s national convention of the party organised by the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led group.

It described the convention as a “pre-Easter jamboree of APC sympathisers and members of ‘Wike’s autocratic Party’”, conducted in violation of existing court processes, including a pending appeal before the apex court.

The National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, reacting on behalf of the camp, stated: “With the series of disturbing activities occurring in succession within the last 48 hours, genuine members of the Peoples Democratic Party across the country have expressed their concerns and are asking what the future holds for the party and our country’s democracy, by extension.

 Slams federal high court judge for ordering reopening of Wadata Plaza

The party also rejected Monday’s judgment by Justice Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which directed security agencies to reopen the Wadata Plaza National Secretariat of the party and grant access to members of the Wike-backed group to occupy the facility.

The Turaki-led camp recalled that it had earlier kicked against having the same judge preside over any case involving the PDP, noting that Monday’s judgment again vindicated the group’s stance.

“In response, we have directed our lawyers to immediately file an appeal and other relevant applications against this judgment,” it said, disclosing its next step.

The camp blamed the crises faced by opposition political parties in the current dispensation on the alleged bid by President Bola Tinubu and the APC to transition the country into a one-party state.

According to the PDP, the APC allegedly engineered the crises because of the fear of losing out in the 2027 polls.

Ememobong explained further, “On the whole, we must admit what is already public knowledge- these are very trying times for us, the PDP, and all opposition parties in Nigeria. These crises are clearly orchestrated by the Bola Tinubu-led APC government, who have shown morbid fear for the existence of alternative political platforms and is determined to foist a one-party state on the country.

“This fear is fuelled by their knowledge of the impending rejection Nigerians are waiting to serve them because of their abysmal performance in core governance issues like security, the economy, and social welfare.

“We urge our members and all Nigerians to keep hope alive in the sincere expectation that the apex court will come to the rescue of multi-party democracy in the appeal before them.

“The Supreme Court now has the historic opportunity to uphold and defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its earlier decisions on the jurisdiction of courts in internal affairs of political parties, when it has its final say.”