Anxiety mounts at PDP Secretariat as Makinde, Wike camps brace for showdown

Tension heightened on Monday at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national headquarters, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, as rival factions loyal to Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, prepared for a possible confrontation over control of the party secretariat.

The development followed plans by a Wike-backed 13-member National Caretaker Committee to reopen the PDP national secretariat with the support of security agencies, a move that has raised fears of clashes between opposing party factions.

Speaking after a closed-door meeting at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last Thursday, the National Secretary of the Wike-aligned faction, Samuel Anyanwu, announced that the caretaker committee would take over the secretariat on Monday.

The crisis stems from a prolonged leadership tussle between the Tanimu Turaki (SAN)-led National Working Committee (NWC), backed by several PDP governors including Makinde and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, and the caretaker committee loyal to Wike.

Turaki’s faction claims legitimacy based on the PDP national convention held in Ibadan on November 15, 2025, a convention that was later nullified by a Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Past attempts by both factions to gain access to Wadata Plaza have resulted in clashes and police intervention, further deepening the internal crisis within the party.

The caretaker committee’s Publicity Secretary, Jogudo Mohammed, said the police had been directed to reopen the secretariat in compliance with the Ibadan court judgment. He disclosed that fumigation and general clean-up of the premises would commence immediately, after which party activities, including preparations for a March national convention, would resume.

Mohammed added that the sale of nomination forms for elective offices would begin on Tuesday at the secretariat, stressing that the court judgment remains valid and enforceable despite ongoing legal challenges.

He warned that any attempt by members of the Turaki-led NWC, whom he said had been restrained from acting as party officers, to disrupt activities at the secretariat could amount to contempt of court.

A senior member of the caretaker committee also confirmed that security agencies, including the police, were ready to remove barricades at the secretariat, having been formally served with the court judgment.

However, the Turaki-led faction cautioned against what it described as resort to self-help, insisting that the leadership dispute remains before the courts. The faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, urged restraint and warned that any violence or destruction at the party headquarters would be the responsibility of the police.

Former PDP National Vice Chairman (South West), Eddy Olafeso, expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal would ultimately resolve the crisis, insisting that the ongoing dispute would not mark the end of the party.

As both factions dig in, the PDP faces a tense and decisive moment, with all eyes on Wadata Plaza amid fears of renewed internal conflict.

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