Police Cordon Off PDP National Secretariat Amid Leadership Crisis
The crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party took a twist on Tuesday when rival groups clashed at the party's national secretariat.
The police have cordoned off the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), following the clash between two factions of the party on Tuesday.
Our correspondent, who visited the PDP headquarters at Wadata Plaza in Abuja on Wednesday, observed that barbed wire was used to create a barrier to prevent anyone from gaining access to the premises.
Barbed wire was used to create a barrier to prevent anyone from gaining access to the premises.
None of the leaders of the two warring groups was sighted at the secretariat, as only a handful of policemen were on the ground.
Barbed wire was used to create a barrier to prevent anyone from gaining access to the premises.
However, a chieftain of the faction led by Kabiru Turaki opposed the decision of the police to barricade the premises.
He vowed that the Turaki-led group would “come to their office as no one can stop them”.
Chaos
A clash erupted at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja on November 18, 2025.
The crisis in the party took a twist on Tuesday when rival groups clashed at the PDP secretariat.
Security operatives were stationed at the secretariat with Samuel Anyanwu and others loyal to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike, insisting they would not vacate the place.
Chaos broke out when Turaki; Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, and other members of the newly elected PDP executives arrived at the premises.
Chaos erupted at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja on November 18, 2025.
The police fired teargas as Anyanwu’s supporters tried to block the group from entering the secretariat.
“If we had not exercised restraint, if we had not controlled our members and our leaders, there would have been bloodshed here,” Turaki had said.
“We have been tear-gassed, and I think more than 50 canisters of tear gas had been shot at us. But we remained relentless and will continue to remain relentless,” he added.
Turaki later said on Tuesday that he had assumed office as the national chairman of the PDP.
His resumption came after the standoff at the party’s secretariat in Abuja.
“For the past seven hours, Nigerians are living witnesses to the struggle we’ve been engaged in with those renegade members of our party that were expelled at our national convention in Ibadan,” Turaki said while addressing pressmen.
“They came here with armed thugs that we did predict would disrupt our meetings, but God was so kind that we were able to contain them effectively.
He said, “Now, we have driven them out of the secretariat, and, as you can see, I have entered my office; I have assumed leadership as the elected chairman,” he added.
A ‘Jamboree’
The most recent events came days after the PDP held its convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, between November 15 and November 16, 2025.
It also came in the wake of conflicting judgments — one sanctioning the event and another asking the party to halt the process.
During the convention, the group expelled Anyanwu, Wike, a former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, and others for anti-party activities.
However, Anyanwu and his group dismissed the suspension, describing it as a “jamboree” and illegality, and in turn, expelledTuraki, Mohammed, and Makinde, among others.
