Nyesom Wike
Iyunade Grace
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has threatened to *seal off any building in Abuja used as a secretariat by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the PDP*, warning that the group’s activities amount to fraud. He made the declaration during his monthly media chat in Abuja on May 6, 2026.
Wike said the Supreme Court has recognized Abdulrahman Mohammed as the legitimate PDP chairman, and that the Turaki faction lacks any legal standing to run the party’s affairs. He described their move to sell nomination forms for the 2027 elections as “419” and an attempt to defraud Nigerians.
The minister challenged the faction to prove its legitimacy by publicly opening an official PDP bank account for nomination fees. “Let Turaki, as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, open an account for the PDP. Let them announce it publicly for members who want to contest elections. That day, you will see what will happen. He will lose his silk,” he said. Wike argued that no bank would open such an account without a certificate of incorporation, which only the recognized party secretary can provide.
He extended the warning to landlords and financial institutions, saying any bank that allows the Turaki faction to open a PDP account “will be in trouble.” The same goes for any property owner who rents out a house for the faction to operate as a parallel PDP headquarters. “Any house that allows them, because it is fraudulent and against court judgement — any house that allows them — the whole of PDP have listened to me, I will take that house,” Wike stated.
Wike framed his threat as enforcement of court rulings and rule of law, insisting that “ignorance of the law is not an excuse.” He stressed that there is only one PDP with its registered national secretariat at Wadata House in Wuse Zone 5, and any other office claiming to be the party’s headquarters is illegitimate.
The Turaki faction was inaugurated recently after a Supreme Court ruling that left the PDP without a recognized leadership, leading the party’s Board of Trustees to announce it had taken over to avoid a vacuum. Wike dismissed the caretaker committee as a deceptive move and said only lawful structures would be tolerated in the FCT.
The statement adds another layer to the PDP’s deepening internal crisis ahead of 2027, with Wike positioning himself firmly against any parallel structures in Abuja.
