PDP Crisis: Wike Faction Demands Arrest of Turaki Group Over Forgery Allegations

The faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has demanded the immediate arrest of members of the rival Kabiru Turaki-led faction for what it describes as “criminal deception,” impersonation, and forgery of court judgments.

The call was made on Monday by PDP State Chairmen loyal to the Wike camp, addressing a media conference at the PDP Abuja national secretariat. The factional state chairmen, led by Austin Nwachukwu, cited the rival camp’s submission of the name of former President Goodluck Jonathan to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election as a key act of deception. Nwachukwu insisted that the Turaki group had been expelled from the PDP and therefore has no legitimate claim to party membership, calling their actions a “threat to public order.” “We stand before you today not out of bitterness, but out of duty as commanders of our various states, to defend the integrity of the PDP, to protect the rule of law, and to preserve the peace and stability of our party and our democracy,” Nwachukwu said.

The conflict is underpinned by a series of court rulings, the most recent being a Federal High Court judgment delivered on March 29, 2026. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik barred the Turaki-led faction from accessing the PDP’s national secretariat at Wadata Plaza in Abuja. The judge declared the November 2025 Ibadan convention that produced the Turaki leadership a nullity, as it was conducted in defiance of subsisting court orders. “The purported convention, including the election of officers and suspension of members, is unconstitutional, null and void,” Justice Abdulmalik held. The court also directed the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services to provide protection for the Wike-backed faction to access and operate from the party’s national headquarters. Additionally, the court restrained INEC from accepting any address for the party other than the one already recognized in its records.

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Nwachukwu accused the Turaki group of “criminal and malicious forgery and distortion of court judgments,” alleging they are misrepresenting judicial pronouncements to deceive the public. He called on security agencies to investigate the group’s activities, describing their actions as a “clear and present danger to public order.” According to Nwachukwu, “Their utter disrespect for the rule of law, their breach of peace, and reckless utterances pose a clear and present danger to public order. Nigeria is a nation of laws, not of propaganda.” He insisted that there is only one legally recognized PDP leadership, headed by Alhaji Abdulrahman Mohammed as National Chairman and Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary. The faction also appealed to former President Jonathan to publicly distance himself from the Turaki group, alleging that his name was being invoked to lend legitimacy to “unlawful” actions. “We call on you, in view of the global image and moral authority you command, to address Nigerians directly and disassociate yourself from the continuous use of your name in this spectacle,” Nwachukwu said. In a separate appeal, Nwachukwu called on FCT Minister Wike to investigate a building in Abuja being used by the Turaki group, claiming their activities could undermine peace and security in the capital.

The Turaki-led faction has dismissed the allegations and insisted on its legitimacy, arguing that its actions are based on legal interpretations of existing court judgments. The group’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, stated that the issue is not a security matter but a legal one, and they are exhausting all constitutional and legal avenues. “Our reaction is simple: it shows the level of ignorance of the law upon which they operate. 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 said. The faction maintained that it manually submitted its candidates’ list, including former President Jonathan, to INEC after the commission refused to provide access codes for electronic submission. The group filed an appeal against the Federal High Court judgment, expressing confidence that the Court of Appeal would reaffirm earlier decisions of the higher courts.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has rejected the presidential nomination of former President Goodluck Jonathan submitted by the Turaki faction, insisting that nominations can only be processed through its designated online portal in line with electoral regulations. INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, stated that the commission does not recognise manual submission of candidates. “Submission is only done on a dedicated portal as stipulated by our regulations and guidelines please,” she said. Despite INEC’s stance, the faction insisted it acted within the provisions of the Electoral Act and accused the commission of creating obstacles for its leadership. Ememobong claimed that the documents were received and acknowledged by officials of the commission despite the disagreement over the recognition of the faction.

In his monthly media chat, Wike reiterated that the Turaki group is deceiving aspirants by collecting money from them despite lacking authority to field candidates for elections. He revealed that INEC had granted the recognized PDP leadership the access code required to upload candidates to its portal. “When this thing started and I told the press that this thing that Turaki is doing, he has collected money from people, but it will backfire. Why will it backfire? Now, INEC has given access codes to political parties as recognised. Have they given him an access code? So which candidates will he sell forms to? They have given us an access code, and we are uploading our candidates but you are not uploading your own candidates,” Wike said. Wike also dismissed claims that the PDP was divided into factions, arguing that disagreement within a political party does not amount to a parallel leadership. He challenged the Turaki group to open an official PDP account and secretariat, vowing to seal any such illegal office. “If they are sure they are the authentic leadership of the PDP, let them open an official PDP account and tell party members to pay nomination fees into it. Let Turaki open an account for the PDP. Let them announce it publicly. That day, you will see what will happen. He will lose his silk (SAN title),” Wike said.

PDP Crisis: Wike Faction Demands Arrest of Turaki Group Over Forgery Allegations