A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of a factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kabiru Turaki, SAN.
The presiding judge, Justice Peter Kekemeke, gave the order to arrest Turaki on Thursday, March 26, 2026, after he failed to appear for his scheduled arraignment.
The court held that the former minister and factional leader had no justifiable reason for his absence, given that he had been duly served with the charge and hearing notices.
Turaki, a former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs under President Goodluck Jonathan, is being prosecuted by the Inspector-General of Police on a one-count charge of allegedly providing false information to the police in a petition dated October 2022.
Turaki is accused of providing false information in a petition dated October 5, 2022, allegedly misleading the police against one Saidi Mohammed Mainasara.
The case had earlier come up on January 28 for arraignment, but was stalled due to the defendant’s absence, despite a prior court order directing him to appear.
At the proceedings, the prosecution urged the court to issue a bench warrant against the defendant for failing to honour the summons.
However, defence counsel informed the court that Turaki’s absence was due to a petition written to the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court seeking the transfer of the case to another judge, citing a lack of confidence in the court.
Ruling on the issue, Justice Kekemeke held that the filing of a petition does not halt criminal proceedings unless there is a directive from the Chief Judge to that effect.
The judge subsequently granted the prosecution’s application and ordered that the defendant be arrested and produced before the court for arraignment.
The court proceededings was later adjourned to March 5.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that the arrest order against Turaki has added a layer to the PDP leadership crisis, which has seen the party split between a faction led by Turaki and another backed by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, and led by Abdulrahman Mohammed.
The bench warrant comes at a time when the Peoples Democratic Party is struggling to maintain a unified front ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Just weeks ago, the Court of Appeal in Abuja dealt a blow to the Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) by upholding a previous ruling that nullified the party’s November 2025 national convention in Ibadan.
The Wike-backed faction of the PDP has since moved to plan a new national convention for March 29, 2026.
