PDP National Secretariat Remains Under Pending Litigation, Says Ini Ememobong

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reaffirmed that its National Secretariat remains a subject of ongoing litigation, warning against any attempt by expelled members to forcibly take possession of the party’s headquarters or other properties while court cases are still pending. The clarification was made by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, in a statement issued on February 6, 2026.

According to Ememobong, the party has received credible information indicating that some individuals who were expelled from the PDP are planning to either forcibly enter or, allegedly in connivance with security operatives, occupy the party’s National Secretariat and other assets. He described such plans as unlawful and a direct challenge to the authority of the courts currently seized of the matter.

Ememobong disclosed that the PDP has formally written to the Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), drawing their attention to the fact that the status of the National Secretariat is still under judicial determination. He explained that the property is presently a “res,” meaning a subject of dispute, before both the Federal High Court in Abuja and the Court of Appeal.

“The secretariat is still a res before the Federal High Court, Abuja, and the Court of Appeal,” the statement noted, stressing that any attempt to gain access to or occupy the property before the conclusion of the cases would amount to self-help. Ememobong warned that such actions would violate a well-established principle of law which holds that parties who have submitted themselves to the jurisdiction of the courts must refrain from acts capable of undermining or rendering nugatory the powers of those courts.

He further pointed out that the case currently pending before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court was instituted by the same expelled members allegedly planning to take over the secretariat. As such, he argued, it would be legally inconsistent and contemptuous for them to bypass the judicial process they themselves initiated by resorting to force or administrative influence.

In a direct message to security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Police Force, Ememobong reminded them that they are listed as parties on record in the pending suit. He cautioned that any action taken to grant access to the disputed properties to any group before the court delivers judgment could constitute contempt of court.

“This statement serves to remind all the dramatis personae, especially the Police Force, which is a party on record in the said matter, that any action taken to grant access to anybody, pending the determination of the suit, is a contempt of the court,” the statement said.

The PDP spokesman emphasized that the party is fully prepared to deploy all available legal means to protect its properties from trespass or unlawful occupation. He added that responsibility for any injury to persons or damage to property arising from such actions would rest squarely on the aggressors and any security operatives who collaborate with them.

The statement has triggered wide reactions among party members and political observers, reflecting the deepening internal divisions within the opposition party. While some commentators have mocked the PDP’s internal crisis, others have warned that the situation highlights a broader problem of disregard for the rule of law in Nigeria’s political space. A number of party supporters insist that the courts must be allowed to determine the matter without interference, arguing that selective obedience to court orders weakens democratic institutions.

Critics, however, accuse the party leadership of inconsistency, claiming that some factions within the PDP have themselves been accused of disobeying court rulings in the past. This has fueled heated exchanges among supporters of rival factions, with each side laying claim to legitimacy and accusing the other of lawlessness.

Beyond the PDP, analysts note that the controversy underscores the recurring problem of internal party disputes spilling into public institutions and security agencies. They warn that politicizing law enforcement or attempting to resolve party conflicts through force rather than lawful processes poses risks to democratic stability.

As the legal battles continue, all eyes remain on the courts to provide clarity on the leadership and control of the PDP’s national structures. For now, the party’s official position, as articulated by Ini Ememobong, is clear: until the courts deliver their judgments, the PDP National Secretariat remains under litigation, and any attempt to take possession of it outside the law will be firmly resisted.