The national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja was sealed off on Wednesday following violent clashes between two rival factions of the party the previous day.
When our correspondent arrived at Wadata Plaza, police operatives had blocked the entrance with barbed-wire barricades. Officers on the ground said the order to seal the premises came “from above,” but offered no further explanation.
Attempts to reach the spokesperson for the FCT Police Command were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to her went unanswered.
The crisis intensified on Tuesday when supporters of Tanimu Turaki — alongside Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi — arrived at the secretariat with members of the newly elected PDP executive. They were confronted by Samuel Anyanwu and his supporters, who are aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Tensions escalated rapidly. Police fired tear gas after Anyanwu’s camp allegedly tried to prevent the Turaki group from entering the building. Both sides insisted they were the legitimate leadership of the party, resulting in a chaotic standoff.
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In the aftermath, the factional PDP chairman, Tanimu Turaki, flanked by Makinde and Mohammed, accused Minister Nyesom Wike of orchestrating the disruption. He warned that Nigeria’s democracy was “under threat” and appealed for international attention.
“Democracy is under threat. I am calling on all advanced democracies to come and save Nigeria,” Turaki said.
