BREAKING NEWS: Armed Officers Block PDP BoT Meeting; Party Announces New Venue

By Emmanuel Kwada

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has relocated its Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting to the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja’s Central Business District after armed policemen from the FCT Police Command took over the party’s national secretariat, Wadata Plaza.

According to reports, the police deployment was aimed at preventing the proposed Expanded Caucus Meeting from taking place. BoT members, including Maina Chiroma, were barred from accessing the secretariat, prompting the party to move the meeting to a new venue.

The PDP faulted the police takeover, describing it as harassment. A former National Secretary of the PDP, Umar Tsauri, revealed that the police claimed they were acting on “orders from above”.

Officers were deployed to maintain law and order, ensuring public safety

In response, the FCT Police Command stated that officers were deployed to maintain law and order, ensuring public safety. The command emphasized that the secretariat was not sealed off by the police.

The incident has sparked controversy, with PDP’s former Deputy National Chairman (South West), Bode George, accusing the federal government of interfering in the party’s internal affairs. George condemned the action, drawing comparisons to repressive regimes.

The PDP has been embroiled in an internal crisis, resulting in frequent postponements of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. The meeting was recently postponed by Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, but the National Working Committee (NWC) insisted it would proceed as scheduled.

The party’s internal crisis has been fueled by power struggles, including a dispute over the National Secretary position, with Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye laying claim to the role.

The situation has led to multiple court cases, with the Supreme Court delivering a judgment in March that both contending parties have interpreted in their favor.

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