Tensions reached critical levels at the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) national headquarters in Abuja as rival factions claiming party leadership attempted to hold parallel meetings at Wadata Plaza on Tuesday. Security forces cordoned off the secretariat anticipating clashes between supporters of Senator Samuel Anyanwu and the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee.
Heavily armed security personnel sealed key sections around the complex as both factions arrived to assert their authority. The Anyanwu-aligned group accessed the building first, with their leader immediately declaring his position as substantive National Secretary until December remains valid.
Addressing journalists from his office, Anyanwu dismissed his reported expulsion by the Turaki faction, stating: “No leadership announcement or convention outcome can invalidate my tenure before December.” He emphasized that due process wasn’t followed in the expulsion proceedings against him.
When questioned about the significant security deployment, Anyanwu confirmed he requested the presence of security agencies. He described this as standard PDP protocol for major meetings, adding that operatives were positioned to handle potential “intruders”—a thinly veiled reference to the Turaki group.
The Turaki faction had preemptively alerted police about alleged disruption plans by “expelled officers,” setting the stage for Tuesday’s standoff. Both factions maintained their competing emergency meetings would proceed at the national headquarters, deepening the PDP’s leadership crisis.
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