The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened on Tuesday as Governors Seyi Makinde and Bala Mohammed of Oyo and Bauchi States stormed the party’s national secretariat in Abuja alongside Tanimu Turaki, the newly elected National Chairman.
Their arrival heightened tensions and caused confusion, forcing security operatives on the premises to use force to prevent an impending clash, including firing teargas to disperse people around Wadata Plaza, the PDP national secretariat.
Recall that operatives of the Mobile Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Department of State Services (DSS) had arrived at the secretariat as early as 5:00 a.m. to secure the area.
However, a group loyal to Nyesom Wike and Samuel Anyanwu, who were said to have been expelled by the party, took over the secretariat at about 8:00 a.m.
Samuel Anyanwu, National Secretary of the Wike group, arrived at about 8:05 a.m. and immediately began arrangements for a meeting of the Board of Trustees (BoT).
Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), arrived at about 11:10 a.m. for the BoT meeting.
Shortly after his arrival, security operatives began firing teargas canisters to disperse people within the area.
BusinessDay gathered that the action was taken to prevent the pro-Turaki group from staging protests or gaining access to the premises.
Following resolutions at the party’s national convention in Ibadan last weekend, the PDP announced the expulsion of Wike, Anyanwu, and others over alleged anti-party activities.
The move was rejected by Governors Ahmadu Fintiri and Caleb Muftwang of Adamawa and Plateau States, respectively.
The Wike group, which had boycotted the Ibadan convention, condemned the expulsions and quickly regrouped.
In an attempt to assert control over the party’s structures, the group convened meetings of the BoT and the National Executive Committee (NEC) for Tuesday at the secretariat.
Similarly, the newly elected National Working Committee (NWC) also scheduled its meeting for Tuesday at the same venue.
Read also: PDP crisis: Police disperse party members with teargas as Wike storms national secretariat
The newly elected NWC, led by Tanimu Turaki, had on Monday invited the police, at the Garki State Command of the Nigeria Police Force, to secure the venue against possible attacks during their meeting.
Governor Bala Mohammed and his team entered the building after security operatives succeeded in clearing the secretariat.
As of the time of filing this report, both groups were inside the building, while security personnel remained stationed outside.
Members of the PDP Press Corps, who were chased out earlier, had to relocate for safety.
