Legal, Civil Society Groups Seek International Intervention as PDP Secretariat Remains Under Police Siege

Legal, Civil Society Groups Seek International Intervention as PDP Secretariat Remains Under Police Siege

A coalition of legal and civil society organizations has appealed to the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), African Union (AU), and ECOWAS to intervene in breaking the police siege on the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The coalition also called on western democratic nations to urge the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration to respect opposition parties and halt what they described as a clampdown on Nigeria’s democracy.

In a joint media briefing in Abuja on Monday, the groups described the police presence at the PDP secretariat as an unconstitutional attack on multiparty politics.

Representatives from Lawyers for New Nigeria (LNN), the Good Governance Initiative Coalition (GGIC), and the Arewa Lawyers Union (ALU) spoke on behalf of the coalition. Hassan Saraki, National Coordinator of LNN, accused the federal government of promoting a culture of impunity that undermines Nigeria’s democratic framework.

“The police occupation of the PDP national secretariat violates constitutional guarantees for freedom of association and political party rights,” Saraki said. “We demand the immediate withdrawal of police officers, the reopening of the facility, and a parliamentary inquiry into the misuse of security agencies.”

The coalition also urged investigations into the role of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in the events that led to the deployment of police personnel to the PDP headquarters.

Saraki described the incident as part of a broader pattern of shrinking democratic space in Nigeria, citing rising intolerance of opposition voices, the politicisation of security agencies, and the violation of constitutional safeguards.

“This is not merely an internal party dispute; it is a forceful occupation backed by security operatives acting without lawful authority,” he said. “The siege prevented lawful leadership, sitting governors, lawmakers, and stakeholders from accessing the secretariat, effectively shutting down one of Nigeria’s oldest opposition parties. This is state capture, not democracy.”

The coalition warned that silence in the face of such actions would amount to complicity and gave the police 24 hours to vacate the premises, failing which they said legal action would follow.

The siege follows a seven-hour standoff between factions loyal to Minister Wike and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde. The confrontation, which saw the deployment of teargas by police to disperse crowds, forced the two factions to operate from separate locations outside the secretariat.

“Authoritarian forces have been emboldened, and the soul of Nigeria’s democracy is under coordinated assault,” Saraki added, highlighting the growing international scrutiny over Nigeria’s democratic and security challenges.

The coalition vowed to continue defending democratic governance, insisting, “We will not be silent. We will not be intimidated. We will defend Nigeria.”