The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has issued a stern warning that any property within the capital city utilised as a secretariat by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will be summarily sealed and seized.
Speaking during a media parley monitored live by Africa Update on Wednesday, the Minister asserted that such factional activities constitute a fraudulent attempt to mislead the public and breach the peace.
Minister Wike maintained that the Supreme Court has unequivocally recognised Abdulrahman Mohammed as the legitimate Chairman of the PDP. Consequently, he described the sale of nomination forms by the Turaki-led faction as an unlawful enterprise.
The Minister highlighted the legal and administrative hurdles facing the faction, particularly regarding the opening of bank accounts for the collection of nomination fees. He noted that banks require a Certificate of Incorporation a document held only by the duly recognised Party Secretary to open such accounts.
“Let me see the bank that will go and open an account. That bank will be in trouble,” the Minister cautioned. “To open an account, you must have the certificate of incorporation. Who has it? The Secretary of the party. First of all, that bank will be in trouble.”
Addressing the legal implications for the leadership of the faction, Wike remarked that any senior legal practitioner lending their name as a signatory to such accounts risks severe professional repercussions, including the potential loss of their “silk” status as a Senior Advocate.
As the Minister of the FCT, Wike emphasised that his primary responsibility is the maintenance of public order and the enforcement of judicial rulings. He warned property owners against leasing their buildings for what he termed “fraudulent activities.”
“Any house that allows them because it’s fraud I will take that house,” Wike declared. “I will seal it off! I will never allow any breach of the peace. Apart from being a PDP member, as FCT Minister, I obey this judgment of the court. You must obey it.”
The Minister’s remarks underscore the deepening crisis within the nation’s main opposition party. By leveraging his administrative authority in the FCT, Wike is effectively restricting the operational capacity of the dissenting faction, insisting that all party activities must align with the dictates of the apex court.
This latest intervention signals a tightening of the net around factional interests within the PDP, as the struggle for the control of the party’s machinery intensifies ahead of the next electoral cycle.
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