Politics
PDP Faction Drags IGP To Court Over Sealed Secretariat
The Kabiru Turaki (SAN)-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order directing the Inspector-General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force to immediately unseal and vacate the party’s national secretariat and other offices nationwide.
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 compelling the police to remove all barricades, unseal the premises and withdraw from the PDP national headquarters in Abuja.
Naija News recalls 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.
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has appointed Bashorun Akinwale Akinwole, popularly known as Wolekanle, as his new Chief of Staff, following the resignation of Segun Ogunwuyi.
Makinde also appointed Mrs Aderonke Adedayo, his Special Adviser on General Intervention and Donor Agencies, as Director-General of the Due Process Office.
The appointments were announced in letters signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Musibau Babatunde, on Monday.
Akinwole, a grassroots politician, previously served as Chairman of the Oyo State Local Government Service Commission.
Adedayo will combine her new responsibilities as Director-General of the Due Process Office with her existing role as Special Adviser on General Intervention and Donor Agencies.
Both appointments take immediate effect.
The governor congratulated the appointees and urged them to discharge their duties with loyalty, commitment and dedication to the service of Oyo State.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to release the final list of candidates contesting the February 6, 2027.
Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections, with eight states excluded from the governorship poll.
According to The Nation, the commission is scheduled to publish the final list on Saturday, October 10, 2026, in line with Section 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2026.
There are 8 affected states where governorship elections will not hold as part of the February 2027 electoral exercise because they operate on separate election schedules.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed during a world press conference and stakeholders’ meeting that 21 of Nigeria’s 22 registered political parties nominated 936 governorship and deputy governorship candidates for the 28 states scheduled to elect governors in 2027.
The parties also nominated 9,692 candidates for the State Houses of Assembly elections.
Section 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 requires INEC to publish the names and addresses of nominated candidates at least 60 days before an election.
The law also provides a procedure for political parties to notify the commission if a candidate’s name is missing from the published list.
Under Section 32(2), such notification must be submitted in writing, signed by the party’s national chairman and secretary, and supported by an affidavit within 14 days of publication.
Although governorship elections will not take place in the eight excluded states during the February 2027 exercise, State House of Assembly elections are scheduled across all 36 states.
The commission’s final list is expected to provide further details of the candidates and political parties participating in the elections.
INEC had earlier set September 19, 2026, as the deadline for substituting candidates and September 26, 2026, as the final date for submitting nomination forms.
The publication of the final list will be an important step in preparations for the 2027 elections, as political parties and candidates move towards the next phase of campaigning.
new Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) and Special Assistants (SAs).
The Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency, Hon Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has approved the appointments of new Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) and Special Assistants (SAs).
The Governor also approved the appointment of Alhaji Moshood Kewuyemi as the Chief Imam of the Government House Mosque.
The new SSAs include:
Ms. Folashade Ogunoye, SSA Gender
Alhaji Aminu Saidi Tunde, SSA Islamic Religion Affairs
Rev. Tunde Ogunsuyi, SSA Christian Religion Affairs
Kemisola Obamoyegun, SSA Housing
Dr. Oluwatobi Aruwajoye, SSA Primary Health
Alhaja Mohammed Sikirat Idera, SSA Muslim Women Affairs
Mrs Ehuwa Victoria Olufunke, SSA Christian Women Affairs
Alhaja Fauzart Gidado, SSA Women Mobilisation (Central).
And, others.
The appointments take immediate effect.
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