Tensions escalated on Monday at the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Wadata Plaza, Abuja, as a faction loyal to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, took control of the party’s national headquarters amid deepening internal crisis.
Supporters of Mohammed Abdulrahman, who was recently announced as the factional acting National Chairman, stormed the premises demanding that the Umar Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC) vacate the building immediately.
The protesters, chanting solidarity songs, accused the Damagum leadership of mismanaging party affairs and vowed to “reclaim control of the PDP” under Abdulrahman’s leadership. Security operatives were swiftly deployed to the area to prevent the confrontation from degenerating into violence.
Okay News reports that the latest crisis follows the suspension of the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, for one month, signaling deep fractures within Nigeria’s main opposition party.
In a counter move, the Wike-aligned faction had met at another venue in Abuja where it announced the suspension of Damagum and other NWC members, effectively splitting the party’s leadership structure.
Addressing journalists after taking over the National Chairman’s office, Mohammed Abdulrahman pledged to “unite and reposition the PDP ahead of the next general elections,” adding, “We are ready to work in the interest of our dear party.”
The Abuja Police Command maintained a heavy presence around the secretariat as party loyalists from both sides dispersed, while analysts warn that the crisis could weaken the PDP’s ability to mount an effective opposition ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
