Tensions flared at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) headquarters in Abuja this Tuesday, November 18 as the faction led by the newly elected National Chairman, Taminu Turaki, forced its way into the party’s national secretariat, forcefully asserting control over Wadata Plaza.
Turaki arrived at the scene accompanied by prominent PDP governors, including Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde and Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed. The delegation’s entrance was met with resistance from security operatives at the gate, leading to a physical standoff before they successfully pushed through to enter the National Executive Committee meeting hall.
The dramatic confrontation was the result of a clash between two parallel leadership groups who had both scheduled meetings for the same day at the national headquarters.
The internal crisis pits the new National Working Committee (NWC), which was recently elected at a convention held in Ibadan, against a counter-structure within the party.
The rival faction, which is loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and led by National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, had reportedly arrived earlier and taken positions inside the building for their own separate meeting. The arrival of the Turaki-led group, supported by the governors, heightened the atmosphere of contention and volatility.
Speaking to reporters after the successful entry, Chairman Turaki accused the rival elements of deploying tear gas and attempting to physically prevent his team from accessing the complex.
He insisted that his group had now taken full control of the secretariat and would continue to operate from Wadata Plaza as the legitimate leadership of the party.
Turaki made a defiant vow, stating that his group would defend the party and the country’s democratic system at all costs, declaring their readiness to make personal sacrifices to safeguard democratic institutions.
He also issued a call to Nigerians and the international community, urging them to pay close attention to what he described as a growing threat to the nation’s political stability stemming from the factional dispute.
