The internal crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party escalated on Friday after the faction aligned with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike assumed control of the party’s national secretariat in Abuja following its reopening by the Nigeria Police Force.
The development followed months of legal and political confrontation over the leadership of the party, with rival blocs laying claim to the PDP structure and secretariat. Reports said the police unsealed the Wadata Plaza headquarters and handed it over to the camp led by Abdulrahman Mohammed Takushara and Senator Samuel Anyanwu, a move the faction described as compliance with court orders.
The Wike-backed camp praised the police for what it called professionalism and adherence to due process, and urged party members to embrace unity after what it said was the resolution of the dispute. It also warned against any action capable of causing disruption at the secretariat.
But the rival bloc led by Tanimu Turaki rejected the takeover and accused the police of acting in contempt of pending legal processes. The faction vowed to challenge the action in court, arguing that the matter over control of the secretariat and party leadership remains unsettled.
The latest twist marks another flashpoint in the prolonged PDP power struggle, which has exposed deep divisions among senior party figures ahead of future political contests. Recent reports show reconciliation efforts had begun in March, but the reopening of the secretariat appears to have sharpened the split instead of ending it.
