A crisis erupted on Tuesday at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national secretariat, as the Taminu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) and that of factional acting National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, clashed.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the factional acting chairman, Mohammed, is backed by the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike.
NAN also reports that the situation degenerated when Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, the PDP Governors Forum Chairman, and Seyi Makinde of Oyo arrived at the party secretariat.
Mohammed and Makinde had arrived at the party secretariat at about 10:45 am, but the main gates of the secretariat were padlocked, prompting them to access the premises of the party, leaving their motorcades behind.
However, the governors and their entourage were teargassed by one of the factions’ supporters the moment they tried to access the party National Executive Committee (NEC) hall, where both factions intended to hold their meetings.
This was followed by several firings of tear gas by security operatives to chase away party members and others including journalists and political thugs already within the secretariat.
The governors later gained access to the premises with their vehicles.
Wike later arrived at party secretariat at about 11:15am and blocked the governors’ motorcade already in front of the party secretariat.
Ishiaku Sharu, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), FCT command, later came and ordered Gov. Mohammed and his group to leave the party secretariat premises.
Mohammed however said that they would only leave if Wike and every other person also leave, but went back inside the NWC hall when they were told a meeting was ongoing in the hall.
At the time of filling this report, the governors and others are still within the premises of the party, while Wike has yet to come out of his car parked in front of the building.
NAN reports that the Bala-led-led faction of the PDP had on Saturday at Ibadan expelled Wike and some others from the party. (NAN)
