UPDATED: Clash Imminent As PDP Factions Plan Counter Meetings Tuesday

… We Will Defend Our Party With Our Lives — Turaki

There was growing tension on Monday as two warring Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) factions planned counter meetings on Tuesday, choosing the party’s national secretariat as the venue.

The newly elected PDP National Chairman, Kabiru Turaki, SAN, announced the decision of his faction to hold an inaugural meeting of his faction’s National Working Committee (NWC) at the national secretariat.

Turaki, who spoke with journalists at the headquarters of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, said he had informed the Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye, ahead of the meeting to ensure the security of the attendees.

“We came here to have an interface with the Commissioner of Police regarding our inaugural NWC meeting, to which we have invited our governors, our National Assembly members and our founding fathers.

THE WHISTLER had reported earlier on Monday that the opposing faction, controlled by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, announced plans to hold its Board of Trustees (BoT) and National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings on the date and at the venue.

But Turaki, envisaging a possible clash with the Wike-backed faction, declared that the FCT Minister and his allies are no longer members of the PDP, having been expelled by the just-concluded national convention in Ibadan.

He said, “Next to God, it’s the national convention which expelled them. So they are no longer members of the party.

“We have reported their moves to the police, and the police have assured us of adequate protection during our meeting.

“We are holding the meeting at the PDP national secretariat. Any other persons trying to occupy the secretariat would be doing so illegally. We did not invite the police to lock up our secretariat.

“We will go there and defend our lives, our property and our party. We are prepared to lay down our lives to defend our party.”

Stating that the meeting will begin at 10 am, the factional chairman said the Commissioner of Police had assured him and members of his bloc that there would be no breakdown of law and order.

THE WHISTLER had also reported that the Wike-backed faction announced its plans to hold its BoT and NEC meetings at the same venue.

The faction’s BoT meeting will be presided over by its Board chairman, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, while its national chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, will preside over the NEC meeting.

Although the notice did not state the agenda of the two meetings, insiders said far-reaching retaliatory decisions, bordering on punitive measures, might be taken against key members of the opposing camp.

The party’s national secretariat building has been under lock and key since Monday, November 3, 2025, after it was sealed by security operatives.

Also, the party’s national campaign headquarters, Legacy House, located in the high-brow Maitama district, was similarly sealed on the same day.

The two facilities were sealed shortly after the national chairman appointed by the faction, Abdulrahman Mohammed, stormed the secretariat, intending to take possession.

The two facilities, which were sealed, apparently on the orders of the Wike camp, had been deserted since then.

The Makinde-backed faction held its national convention on Saturday through Sunday, where Turaki emerged as national chairman.

While responding to a question on the sealed secretariat building a few days ago, the PDP National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, said the facility was sealed to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

Anyanwu, who is the arrowhead of the Wike camp, also declared that he was still in possession of the certificate of registration of the PDP.

Wike and his group have since repudiated their expulsion by the convention, with the minister saying that those who announced his suspension were intoxicated.