Police have sealed the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, following violent clashes between two rival factions vying for control of the opposition party.
A visit to Wadata Plaza on Wednesday showed barbed wire stretched across the entrance, creating a barrier that prevented access to the premises. Only a few police officers were seen on duty, while leaders of the opposing groups stayed away.
A chieftain of the faction led by Kabiru Turaki criticised the police barricade, insisting that members loyal to Turaki would still “come to their office” despite the restriction.
The tensions spilled over on Tuesday when members of the two factions confronted each other at the secretariat. Supporters of Samuel Anyanwu—backed by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike—refused to vacate the premises ahead of a scheduled meeting.
Chaos erupted when Turaki, alongside Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, arrived with other newly elected PDP executives. Police fired several rounds of teargas to disperse Anyanwu’s supporters, who attempted to block entry into the building.
Turaki later accused the opposing faction of attempting to disrupt the party’s activities with “armed thugs,” saying over 50 canisters of teargas had been deployed during the confrontation. He declared that his group had “driven them out of the secretariat” and that he had formally assumed office as national chairman.
The standoff follows the party’s recent national convention in Ibadan, held amid conflicting court rulings. At the convention, the Turaki-led faction expelled Anyanwu, Wike, former Ekiti governor Ayodele Fayose, and several others for alleged anti-party activities.
In response, Anyanwu’s group rejected the convention as a “jamboree” and declared the expulsions invalid. They proceeded to announce the expulsion of Turaki, Makinde, Mohammed, and their allies.
The deepening crisis underscores ongoing power struggles within the PDP, with both factions laying claim to the party’s leadership and legitimacy.
