PDP Leadership Backed by Wike Moves to Sue Turaki’s Faction

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced it is weighing legal options against the Tanimu Turaki-led faction, accusing the group of persistently presenting itself as the party’s legitimate leadership in defiance of existing court rulings.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, disclosed this in an interview with Saturday PUNCH.

He said petitions had already been submitted to security agencies, urging them to intervene.

Mohammed said the party was waiting for guidance from its legal department on the next steps.

“For the party, we are only law-abiding men and women, and we cannot do beyond what the security agencies are supposed to do,” he said.

“What we have done is to write a petition and draw the attention of the police and other relevant security agencies. That is all we need to do.”

He added that the party would review the situation and decide whether to proceed with legal action.

The PDP crisis followed the Supreme Court’s April 30 decision voiding the PDP national convention held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16.

The convention, backed by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, produced the Turaki-led leadership.

Following the judgment, the Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees reconstituted Turaki and others into an Interim National Working Committee.

The group has continued to operate in opposition to the INEC-recognised PDP leadership backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Mohammed said Turaki and Wabara had been invited by the police over the matter, but alleged that the faction had continued to push misleading narratives.

“They have continued to remain determined in misinterpreting and pushing wrong narratives into the media space,” he said.

He urged security agencies to intensify efforts to address the dispute.

Responding, Publicity Secretary of the Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee, Ini Ememobong, said the dispute was a legal matter, not a security issue.

He argued that the faction’s actions were in line with court judgments, the PDP constitution and Nigerian law.

“Our reaction is simple: it shows the level of ignorance of the law upon which they operate,” Ememobong said.

“This issue is not a matter for security; it is a legal matter where the judgment of court is involved, and we acted in accordance with the judgments, PDP Constitution, and Nigerian laws.”

Ememobong warned that those filing petitions could also face consequences if the law is properly applied.

“It is not always that the petitioner is right, because the petitioner can become the hunted,” he said.

He insisted that the Turaki-led leadership remained valid and would continue to run the affairs of the PDP.