Security has been heightened at the Peoples Democratic Party national headquarters in Abuja as two rival camps prepare to hold separate meetings at the same venue.
In a video circulating online and posted by a news platform, Symfoni, armed policemen and patrol vans were seen stationed at the entrance of the party’s secretariat on Tuesday morning.
Samuel Anyanwu, the factional national secretary of the party loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, arrived early and took possession of the secretariat.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Anyanwu maintained that he remains the party’s national secretary until his tenure expires in December, adding that he has settled into his office despite the ongoing leadership tussle.
When asked whether he invited the security operatives who barricaded major sections outside the premises, Anyanwu confirmed he did.
“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.
Anyanwu added that the security personnel were also on standby to prevent any “intruders” who had announced plans to hold a separate meeting at the Wadata Plaza.
The crisis rocking the PDP deepened on Monday as factions loyal to Wike and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde scheduled parallel National Executive Committee meetings at the party’s national secretariat.
Both factions are laying claim to the leadership of the party following a fiercely contested national convention in Ibadan on Saturday, which produced a new National Working Committee and expelled several prominent Wike loyalists.
Despite their expulsion, Wike’s allies issued a notice convening an emergency NEC and Board of Trustees meeting at the headquarters.
According to a notice issued on Monday, Anyanwu said both meetings were slated to be held at the NEC Hall of the PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja.
However, the Kabiru Turaki-led leadership also fixed a separate meeting for the same venue and date. It further alerted authorities to an alleged plot by Anyanwu and his group to disrupt party activities.
Speaking to journalists, 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 insisted that Wike’s loyalists lacked legitimacy following their expulsion in Ibadan.
“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 warned that any group attempting to operate from the secretariat outside the newly elected leadership would be treated as “interlopers.”
The Punch
