By SCM Correspondent
LAGOS — Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has officially escalated its internal power struggle to the Supreme Court, warning that the country’s multi-party democracy is under direct threat from an “autocratic” takeover.
In a scathing press statement released today, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and a “Wike-backed” faction of attempting to dismantle the opposition to create a one-party state.
The crisis reached a fever pitch following a controversial convention held over the Easter period. The PDP leadership has dismissed the gathering as a “pre-Easter jamboree” conducted by APC sympathizers and members of what they termed “Wike’s Autocratic Party.”
The party leadership alleges that this convention was held in contempt of court, moving forward despite active legal proceedings at the Court of Appeal.
“The validity of that gathering is now a matter before the court, which we will diligently follow to its conclusion,” Ememobong stated.
The legal battlefield intensified this morning at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Justice Abdulmalik—whom the PDP leadership had previously asked to recuse herself due to alleged bias—delivered a judgment granting the rival faction access to the PDP National Secretariat.
The ruling also directed security agencies to provide protection for the “APC apologists” during their occupation of the headquarters. The PDP leadership has responded by instructing lawyers to immediately file an appeal against the judgment.
The “One-Party State” Warning
The statement did not mince words regarding President Bola Tinubu’s administration, claiming the current chaos is being orchestrated by the presidency to silence dissent.
The PDP argues that the APC’s interference is born out of “morbid fear” of the 2027 elections, citing the government’s failure to address:
National Security: Rising instability across the regions.
The Economy: Spiraling inflation and currency devaluation.
Social Welfare: The worsening cost-of-living crisis.
The Supreme Court’s “Historic Opportunity”
With the filing of the appeal, the PDP is now looking to the apex court to act as the final bulwark of Nigerian democracy.
“The Supreme Court now has the historic opportunity to uphold and defend the Constitution,” the statement concluded. “We are hopeful that sooner, rather than later, the apex court will, in the interest of democracy, expeditiously hear and adjudicate on this matter.”
As the secretariat remains a flashpoint for potential confrontation, all eyes remain on the Supreme Court to provide a definitive ruling on what constitutes a party’s “internal affairs” versus a breach of democratic law.
