Chaos erupted at Wadata Plaza, the national secretariat of Nigeria’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday. Supporters of the faction loyal to Mohammed Abdulrahman, the party’s National Vice Chairman for North Central, stormed the premises in protest.
The protesters chanted solidarity songs and waved placards demanding change. They called for the immediate removal of the National Working Committee led by Acting Chairman Umar Damagum. The group accused Damagum’s leadership of mismanaging party affairs and vowed to reclaim the secretariat.
The crisis deepened last week when Damagum’s NWC suspended National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade. This prompted a strong countermove from the Anyanwu faction. They announced Damagum’s suspension and named Abdulrahman as new Acting Chairman.
This escalation has widened the rift within Nigeria’s main opposition party. Both factions now claim legitimate control of the PDP’s national leadership. Tension peaked when Abdulrahman’s supporters arrived at the Abuja headquarters to enforce their declaration.
Security forces were quickly deployed to the scene. Police and security personnel intervened to prevent violent clashes between the rival party factions. The standoff highlights deepening divisions within the opposition party.
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