THE SEALED PDP HEADQUARTER Rival factions clash in Abuja as party leadership tussle spirals into crisis
The national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party in Abuja was on Wednesday placed under tight security after escalating tensions between two rival factions led to a violent confrontation the previous day. Police operatives cordoned off Wadata Plaza, mounting a barbed-wire barricade at the main entrance to prevent further unrest.
Officers stationed at the scene said the order to shut down the premises came “from above,” though they declined to provide additional details. Efforts to reach the spokesperson of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command were unsuccessful, as calls and messages went unanswered.
The crisis intensified on Tuesday when supporters of factional chairman Tanimu Turaki—accompanied by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, and members of the newly elected PDP executive, arrived at the party headquarters for a scheduled meeting. They were immediately confronted by a rival camp loyal to Samuel Anyanwu, who is aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The standoff quickly descended into chaos. According to accounts from those present, officers fired tear gas after Anyanwu’s supporters allegedly attempted to block the Turaki faction from gaining entry into the secretariat. Both groups insisted they were the legitimate leadership of the party, resulting in a tense showdown that prompted the heavy-handed police response.
In the aftermath of the clash, Turaki, flanked by Governors Makinde and Mohammed, accused Wike of orchestrating the unrest in a bid to assert control over the party. He warned that the internal turmoil had dire implications for Nigeria’s democratic stability and appealed for international attention.
“Democracy is under threat. I am calling on all advanced democracies to come and save Nigeria,” Turaki declared, adding that the actions taken by the opposing faction represented an alarming escalation in the party’s long-running leadership dispute.
As the secretariat remains sealed and tensions continue to simmer, the crisis has further deepened the divisions within the PDP, raising concerns about the party’s ability to navigate its internal conflicts ahead of critical national political engagements.
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