The internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) reached a dramatic crescendo on Tuesday as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike’s faction expelled several key party figures, including Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State.
Wike’s faction expelled Makinde, Mohammed, and others after they had been expelled from the PDP during a National Convention that was held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Saturday.
A factional National Executive Council (NEC) of the PDP announced the expulsion of Makinde and others after a meeting at the PDP National Secretariat in Wadata Plaza, Abuja.
The NEC also ratified the expulsion of former Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara; former National Vice Chairman of the party, Bode George, and the recently elected party National Chairman, Kabiru Turaki, SAN.
The communique, read by factional National Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu, stated the disciplinary action was based on alleged breaches of the party’s constitution, including “anti-party activities, disobedience to court orders, and conduct bringing the party into disrepute.”
The factional NEC, at its meeting held at the national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday, also dissolved the state executive councils in Oyo, Bauchi, Zamfara, Yobe, Lagos, and Ekiti States, directing the constitution of caretaker committees and the conduct of fresh congresses.
The communique reads in part: “NEC received the report of the Acting National Chairman, Hon. Abdulrahman Mohammed, detailing breaches of Articles 58(1) and 59(1), including anti-party activities, disobedience to court orders, and conduct bringing the party into disrepute.
“NEC approved the commencement of disciplinary procedures against the following: Adolphus Wabara, Olabode George, Ben N. Obi, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, Bala Mohammed, Oluseyi Makinde, Dauda Lawal, Taofiq Arapaja, Setonji Koshoedo, Okechukwu Obiechina Daniel, Woyengikuro Daniel, Mohammed Kadade Suleiman, Emmanuel Ogidi, Sumaila Adamu Burga, Umar Sani, Udom Emmanuel, and Emmanuel Enorden.”
Turaki Resumes Office
However, after Wike’s faction expelled Makinde and others, the newly elected factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, announced that he had assumed office at the Wadata Plaza National Secretariat in Abuja.
Turaki, who was also expelled by Wike’s faction, assumed office after tensions peaked early Tuesday as the supporters of the two factions stormed the secretariat to formalize the new leadership’s control.
Meanwhile, shortly after assuming office, Turaki thanked the PDP leaders for what he described as their “resilience” and “courage” in resisting attempts to destabilise the party.
“I want to thank all of you for your resilience, for your courage, for your resoluteness in this struggle to take over our party, our property, and in doing so, to save democracy,” he said.
Turaki claimed that for several hours, leaders loyal to him were engaged in a confrontation with “renegade members” who were expelled at the party’s national convention in Ibadan.
“For the past seven hours, Nigerians have been living witnesses to the struggle we’ve been engaged in with those renegade members of our party that were expelled in our national convention in Ibadan. They came here with armed thugs, as we predicted, to disrupt our meetings, but we were able to contain them effectively,” he said.
Turaki said his camp had now taken full control of the secretariat.
“Now, we have driven them out of the secretariat, and as you can see, I have entered my office. I have assumed leadership as the elected chairman,” he said.
He insisted that the confrontation did not end the internal power struggle.
“This struggle is a continuing one. We will remain relentless; we will continue to fight,” he declared.
Turaki also directed strong criticism at the Federal Government, accusing a member of the President’s cabinet of leading the disruption.
“The president should call his minister to order. The kind of conduct that the minister got himself engaged in this morning is unbecoming. How can a serving minister lead thugs to disrupt a legally arranged meeting?
“If we had not exercised restraint… There would have been bloodshed here. We were tear-gassed — more than 50 canisters were shot at us — but we remain relentless,” he added.
Police Fire Teargas Amid Factional Clash
Earlier, in the day, PDP’s headquarters in Abuja, Wadata Plaza, descended into chaos as security operatives fired teargas to disperse clashing supporters of the party’s rival factions.
It was gathered that the pandemonium began after two opposing factions, one aligned with Wike, and the other loyal to the newly elected National Working Committee led by Turaki, scheduled simultaneous meetings at the secretariat.
Also, Makinde and Mohammed were present at the secretariat to ensure smoot assumption of ther newly elected NWC members into office.
However, the faction loyal to Wike had arrived at the secretariat, locking everyone out. The FCT Minister was also at Wadata Plaza but didn’t alight from his car, where he remained for over 30 minutes.
This development led to pandemonium as the supporters of the two factions clashed over the battle for the soul of the party. Amid the clash, the police fired teargas, leaving many to run for safety.
Meanwhile, Makinde and Mohammed briefed journalists, recounting their ordeal alleging that they were teargassed by police and the resistance they faced from supporters of Senator Anyanwu’s faction.
Also, Turaki, the new PDP Chairman, while addressing the press said: ”Some of our governors have been teargassed; some of our members who came here to attend a meeting that has been lawfully called have been teargassed.”
