The leadership crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) escalated into a physical confrontation at the Wadata Plaza national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday, as the newly elected National Chairman, Taminu Turaki, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde and his Bauchi State counterpart, Bala Mohammed successfully gained entrance despite the occupation of the premises by the Nyesom Wike-aligned faction.
The two rival camps had controversially scheduled parallel meetings at the same venue, leading to a heavy security presence. Armed operatives from the police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Department of State Services (DSS) were deployed to the secretariat to manage the tension.
Earlier in the morning, the faction loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike—led by the suspended National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the factional NWC—took control of the premises. Anti-Turaki protesters accompanying the group displayed placards which read “No to Turaki” and “Turaki must go.”
However, Turaki, Makinde and Mohammed in company of their own supporters arrived later and forcefully entered the opposition party’s secretariat. Their supporters manhandled and beat some Wike faction supporters that they met at the secretariat after they entered the building, chasing them out.
Speaking with journalists earlier, Senator Anyanwu defended the heavy security presence, describing it as routine.
He claimed: “Anytime we’re having a BoT meeting or NEC meeting, we usually invite the security because of the people who are around, so they don’t embarrass our members. So, usually we write to all the security agencies for them to give us security to protect the office. That’s why you see the police here. It’s not the first time.”
Anyanwu insisted he was legitimately running the party: “I’m the National Secretary of the party. My office is still running until Dec. 8. So, undoubtedly, I’m doing my function.”
He confirmed that his faction had formally notified the necessary bodies: “Well, first of all, I wrote to all the security agencies on the 14th of November, 2025 that we are going to have a BoT at NEC meeting, the largest NEC meeting here. I wrote to INEC as well, which they have managed, and they have been on the news, and they have put it on television and newspapers.”
Anyanwu warned the Turaki group against disruption, saying: “You can see there’s no problem. So if we start our meeting and they come here to disrupt our meeting, they become intruders, because we’re already here. I don’t see anybody sensible enough to come and disrupt a meeting that’s going on. If anybody wants to meet, they can meet anywhere. It’s allowed, but we’re here.”
Anyanwu also strongly rejected the validity of his expulsion and the legitimacy of the Ibadan convention, which produced the Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC).
“On what premise are you expelling us? What platform are you using to expel us? The convention that never held?” he questioned.
He insisted that the convention was null and void due to procedural lapses: “Every communication to INEC for any congress/convention, I must sign it. I never communicated any letter to INEC for any convention. So, there was no convention. As a matter of fact, there was no convention anywhere.”
Anyanwu stressed the lack of electoral oversight: “It’s very clear that any convention must be monitored, supervised by INEC. These things were not done.”
Furthermore, he dismissed the attendance figures claimed by the Turaki faction: “Even the 17 states they said came for that jamboree, we had people who were picked by the road sides and given PDP uniforms to occupy some state podiums,” he said, also claiming that two-thirds of the states’ delegates were not present at the convention.
Despite the protests, the newly elected NWC led by Turaki proceeded with its inaugural meeting alongside key stakeholders, including Governor Makinde.
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