A dramatic confrontation erupted on Tuesday at the national headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, where two rival factions intensified their battle for supremacy amid the party’s escalating leadership crisis.
The tension peaked when Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, and the newly elected National Chairman Tanimu Turaki arrived at the Wadata Plaza secretariat. The trio, escorted by a security convoy, remained inside Governor Bala’s vehicle for several minutes as security operatives struggled to contain the unrest around the complex.
Inside the premises, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, was also confined to his vehicle, unwilling to step out due to the volatile atmosphere.
Earlier in the day, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, a prominent figure in the pro-Wike faction, had stormed the secretariat with a crowd of supporters.
Addressing reporters, he dismissed the leadership produced at the party’s Ibadan convention, insisting his camp still represented the legitimate authority within the PDP.
Anyanwu’s faction was preparing to hold a separate meeting inside the NEC Hall when Makinde, Bala Mohammed, and members of Turaki’s newly inaugurated National Working Committee unexpectedly entered the building.
Despite layers of security barricades, the governors forced their way into the hall and later addressed journalists.
They announced that both the Board of Trustees and the National Executive Committee meetings had been shifted to Wednesday, citing the growing disorder.
Turaki, speaking firmly, declared that Anyanwu and his loyalists were “no longer members of the party,” vowing to defend the mandate handed to the new NWC.
But the situation escalated further when Wike arrived and pushed through armed security personnel to enter the secretariat.
His arrival triggered fresh tension, causing Makinde, Bala Mohammed, and Turaki—who had been preparing to leave—to remain within the premises for their safety.
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Security operatives eventually ordered everyone inside the compound, including journalists, to vacate immediately amid fears that the standoff could degenerate into open conflict. However, the PDP governors and other leaders refused to exit unless Wike was also compelled to leave the building.
The showdown underscored the depth of the party’s internal divisions, with each faction digging in as the leadership crisis threatens to push the PDP into unprecedented turmoil.
