The Abdulrahaman Mohammed faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is back in control of the national secretariat of the party in Abuja,almost five months after it was sealed by the police.
Wadata House, as the building is popularly called,was unsealed yesterday for the resumption of party activities therein.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed,who confirmed the development said the Legacy House also owned by the PDP was similarly unsealed and handed over to the leadership of the party.
The two buildings were sealed in November following a clash over the leadership of the party between the Tanimu Turaki led group and the Wike backed Caretaker Committee.
A Federal High Court in Abuja recently declared the Ibadan national convention that produced the Turaki-led national executive committee illegal.
The court also asked the police to unseal the properties and hand them over to the Abdulrahaman Mohammed led-NWC.
Jungudo Mohammed said the properties were handed over to Alhaji Abdulrahman Mohammed Takushara and the national secretary Senator Samuel Anyawu in “full compliance with court orders.”
He commended the police for their ” professionalism and adherence to the rule of law.”
He, however, warned that the PDP would “ not condone any act capable of causing obstruction, disruption, or breach of peace at the secretariat again.”
He advised individuals and groups to “conduct themselves within the bounds of the law, as security agencies have been duly alerted to take necessary action against violators.”
The reopening of the properties did not go down well with the Turaki led faction of the party.
It accused the police of aiding the takeover of the party secretariat by the Wike backed National Working Committee by reopening the building.
National Publicity Secretary of the faction, Comrade Ini Ememobong said in a statement that reopening the secretariat was contemptuous as the court order relied upon by the police for their action is already before the Court of Appeal.
He said:”It is on record that the judgment by Justice Abdulmalik that the police force is allegedly acting under has been appealed, and the police, as a party in that matter, is fully aware and has been served. “By their action, they have tampered with the res and that can render the judgment of the Court of Appeal nugatory, when it is eventually given. It is most shameful that those entrusted with protecting the law are those disobeying the law.
“While it is not surprising that the Police is acting in a clearly partisan manner, we were hopeful that they would act differently under the command of the new Inspector General of Police.
“From the inception of this imbroglio, the officers of the police force have consistently acted in a manner that leaves no one in doubt as to their support for the Wike-backed APC apologists and have continued to double down on their partisan interventions.
“As law-abiding citizens, we admonish our members to continue to maintain peace and not undertake any activity capable of breaching public peace, while we promise to take all necessary steps within the ambit of the law to protect the rights and privileges of the genuine members of the Peoples Democratic Party.
“The public should be assured that we are hopeful that soon this dark cloud of state-sponsored persecution and one-party compulsory drive will end and true democratic experience will return, in the interest of preserving the republic.
“Though pains may tarry in the night, joy and liberation will certainly come in the morning. Let us therefore bear this night with the hope that surely the morning is en route.”