By Tgnews Reporter
Heavy teargas and near-physical confrontations marked a tense morning at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national secretariat in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, as two rival factions attempted to seize control of the building ahead of parallel National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) meetings.
The clash pitted FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who supports the faction led by embattled National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, against Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, who back the new leadership that emerged from last weekend’s controversial Ibadan convention — National Chairman Tanimu Turaki and National Secretary Taofeek Arapaja.
Wike’s group arrived first and took possession of the secretariat. When Makinde, Bala Mohammed, Turaki and their supporters stormed the premises shortly after 10 a.m., police initially blocked the entrance. After brief negotiations — and invoking gubernatorial immunity — the governors forced their way in, triggering chaos.
Eyewitnesses reported that police fired teargas indiscriminately, even affecting Governor Makinde, while supporters of both sides sang war songs and traded insults outside the gates. Some accounts claimed officers loyal to different camps exchanged blows.
Governor Bala Mohammed defiantly told journalists, “We are not leaving. There is no court order stopping our meeting. If they want Wike to stay, then we all stay.”
Reports conflicted on the outcome: some said the Makinde/Turaki faction eventually gained access to the NEC hall and began their meeting, effectively chasing out Anyanwu’s group; others described an uneasy standoff with both sides still inside the building under heavy police watch.
Senior party figures expressed alarm at the scenes. One BoT member, speaking anonymously, said: “This is embarrassing. The police appear to be taking sides, and it is deepening the crisis.” Party leaders have repeatedly accused security agencies of bias towards the Wike camp.
The turmoil follows the Ibadan convention that expelled Wike, former Ekiti Governor Ayo Fayose, Samuel Anyanwu and others, a move the Wike faction declares illegal. Anyanwu maintains his tenure runs until December 8, 2025, and insists today’s meetings under his signature are the only legitimate ones.
As at 2 p.m., both factions claimed to be holding “the authentic” NEC meeting inside different parts of the same building, while armed police and DSS operatives maintained a tense cordon outside.
The PDP’s deepening leadership crisis now threatens to tear Africa’s largest opposition party apart just two years before the next general election.
