PDP Crisis Deepens as Wike’s Faction and Makinde’s Camp Set for Showdown Tomorrow After Today’s ‘Draw’
The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) showed no signs of abating on Monday as tensions flared at the party’s national secretariat in Wadata Plaza, Abuja, where rival factions clashed in a dramatic contest for control of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
The faction loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, led by expelled national secretary Samuel Anyanwu and fractional acting chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed stormed the secretariat earlier in the day under heavy police protection. The group proceeded with its own version of a NEC meeting, addressing the press and insisting on the legitimacy of its leadership.
However, shortly after the Wike faction concluded its briefing, the camp aligned with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde led today by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, arrived for its own scheduled NEC meeting.
The group met stiff resistance from security operatives stationed at the entrance, who attempted to bar them from accessing the complex.
Despite the obstruction, the Makinde/Bala faction forcefully gained entry into the NEC hall. The newly elected National Chairman Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, Governor Bala Mohammed , alongside Governor Seyi Makinde, and other party leaders later addressed journalists, condemning the blockade and describing the events as a “brazen attempt to hijack the party.”
The atmosphere outside the secretariat grew chaotic as security operatives fired tear gas to disperse crowds, sending party loyalists scrambling for safety. Witnesses described the scene as tense and hostile, with both factions refusing to back down.
Both camps have vowed to return to the secretariat on Tuesday, setting the stage for what analysts predict may be an even more confrontational showdown as the struggle for the soul of the PDP deepens.
The arrival of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike further heightened the tension, as the Makinde faction resisted his attempt to gain entry. He was eventually briefed by aides while still seated inside his official vehicle.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, National Chairman Kabiru Tanimu Turaki led several party leaders to the Federal Capital Territory Police Command to file a formal petition against Anyanwu, Wike, and others. Turaki, who reaffirmed the legitimacy of his leadership, told journalists that the party’s first official National Executive Meeting will hold on Tuesday, November 18.
Simultaneously, the Wike-aligned faction has also announced its own emergency NEC and Board of Trustees meeting for the same day, as contained in a notice circulated by Anyanwu.
With both groups insisting on holding parallel meetings at the same venue and on the same day, the PDP’s internal conflict appears far from resolution, raising fresh concerns about the party’s unity, stability, and future direction.
