Showdown at Wadata plaza as rival PDP factions fix meetings same day

A major confrontation is expected today in the Peoples Democratic Party PDP as two rival factions, one loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and the other led by newly elected National Chairman Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, prepare to hold separate meetings at the same venue in Abuja.

The group loyal to Wike, led by the sacked National Chairman Mohammed Abdulrahman, has announced its own Board of Trustees and National Executive Committee meetings.

A notice issued by factional National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu urged members to attend the meetings at the NEC Hall of the PDP National Secretariat in Wadata Plaza, saying important issues would be discussed.

This announcement followed the national convention held in Ibadan by the faction loyal to Governor Seyi Makinde. That convention resulted in the expulsion of Wike, former Ekiti governor Ayo Fayose, Samuel Anyanwu and Dan Orbih. However, Governors Ahmadu Fintiri and Caleb Mutfwang later distanced themselves from the expulsion decisions.

At the same time, Turaki confirmed that his own faction will hold its first National Executive Committee meeting today at Wadata Plaza.

After submitting a petition to the police headquarters in Abuja, he insisted he would not step back from taking control of the party secretariat. He said the police had been notified and promised protection, adding that the meeting would begin at ten in the morning and that he would lead from the front.

The crisis has also spread into parts of the North West, with the Kano, Katsina and Jigawa chapters taking different positions.

In Kano, state chairman Yusuf Ado Kibiya accused the Wike group of trying to cause confusion in the party and claimed the group was being supported by outside forces. He advised them to go to court if they have any complaints.

In Jigawa, party spokesman Umar Kyari rejected both factions, saying neither Turaki’s group nor Wike’s group has the legal right to operate from the national secretariat. He said security agencies should seal the building until the dispute is resolved.

In Katsina, party chieftain Ambassador Umar Jibril argued that Wike is no longer a genuine member of the PDP because he accepted a ministerial role under the APC government. He accused Wike of destabilising not only the PDP but also other political parties.

With both factions preparing to enter the same secretariat for their separate meetings on the same day, the PDP appears to be heading toward one of its most serious internal clashes.

The struggle for control, now spreading from Abuja to several states, has deepened divisions at a very critical moment for the opposition party.