Tight security at PDP secretariat as rival factions brace for showdown

Heavy security presence on Tuesday surrounded the national headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja as two opposing factions prepared to hold parallel meetings at the Wadata Plaza.

A viral video posted by Symfoni showed armed police officers and patrol vehicles positioned at strategic points around the secretariat, an indication of the rising tension within the opposition party.

Samuel Anyanwu, the factional National Secretary aligned with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, arrived at the secretariat early and took charge of his office amid the leadership dispute rocking the party.

Addressing journalists, he insisted that he remained the authentic national secretary until his tenure ends in December.

When asked about the deployment of security operatives who barricaded parts of the secretariat, Anyanwu confirmed he invited them.

“It is the PDP’s usual practice to call in security personnel whenever a meeting of such magnitude is scheduled, in order to maintain law and order,” he said.

He added that the officers were also on ground to deter “intruders” allegedly planning a rival meeting at the complex.

The crisis escalated on Monday after factions loyal to Wike and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde fixed separate National Executive Committee meetings for the same venue.

Both camps have laid claim to the leadership structure after Saturday’s national convention in Ibadan that produced a new National Working Committee and expelled several Wike loyalists.

In defiance of their expulsion, Wike’s associates announced an emergency NEC and Board of Trustees meeting at the headquarters.

A notice issued by Anyanwu listed the NEC Hall of the National Secretariat as the venue for both sessions.

But the Kabiru Turaki-led leadership also fixed its own meeting for the same hall, accusing the Anyanwu group of plotting to disrupt the party’s activities.

Speaking to reporters, Turaki said, “We came to interface with the Commissioner of Police of the FCT regarding the meeting we plan to have tomorrow. It will be the inaugural meeting of our National Working Committee.”

He argued that those expelled in Ibadan no longer had any standing in the party.

“Next to God, the national convention is the highest authority of a political party. Those expelled are no longer members of our party. We’ve reported their moves because we do not want any breach of peace,” he said.

Turaki maintained that any faction attempting to operate from the secretariat outside the newly elected leadership would be regarded as “interlopers.”