The Peoples Democratic Party faction loyal to FCT minister Nyesom Wike has taken over the party’s national secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja.

The takeover of the party’s secretariat was reportedly ahead of a parallel meeting scheduled for the same venue by the faction that held its national convention in Ibadan over the weekend.

The Taminu Turaki-led National Working Committee, elected at the controversial national convention in Ibadan, had scheduled its inaugural meeting with party stakeholders for 10:00 a.m. at the PDP national secretariat.

The Abdulrahman Mohammed-led faction of the NWC had summoned emergency National Executive Committee and board of trustees meetings for 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., respectively, at the same venue.

Mr Mohammed, the factional national chairman, was already at the secretariat building, which was now under lock and key.

Armed security personnel were deployed to the party headquarters.

The security operatives, comprising personnel from the police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the State Security Service, were stationed at the entrance gates of the party and at other strategic locations within the party premises and environs.

There were also security patrol vehicles stationed along the roads leading to the party secretariat, aimed at forestalling any breakdown of law and order, as the PDP factions lay claim to offices within the premises.

While the suspended national secretary of the party, Samuel Anyanwu, had already gained access to the party secretariat, with accreditation ongoing ahead of their 103 NEC meeting in progress, the Turaki faction had yet to arrive.

The anti-Turaki protesters were seen carrying placards bearing inscriptions such as ‘No to Turaki’ and ‘Turaki must go’, dancing to the music provided by a team of drummers.

Speaking with journalists before the BOT meeting, Mr Anyanwu described the security deployment at the party secretariat as routine security arrangements whenever the party held its BOT or NEC meeting.

“Anytime we’re having a BOT meeting or NEC meeting, we usually invite the security because of the people who are around, so they don’t embarrass our members. So, usually we write to all the security agencies for them to give us security to protect the office. That’s why you see the police here. It’s not the first time.

“Well, first of all, I wrote to all the security agencies on the 14th of November, 2025, that we are going to have a BOT at NEC meeting, the largest NEC meeting here. I wrote to INEC as well, which they have managed, and they have been on the news, and they have put it on television and newspapers.

“I’m the National Secretary of the party. My office is still running until December 8. So, undoubtedly, I’m doing my function. I want the BoT acting chairman who is here, who have members of board of trustees, who are here, who have come for their meeting,” Mr Anyanwu explained.

He added, “You can see there’s no problem. So if we start our meeting and they come here to disrupt our meeting, they become intruders, because we’re already here. I don’t see anybody sensible enough to come and disrupt a meeting that’s going on. If anybody wants to meet, they can meet anywhere. It’s allowed, but we’re here.”

Reacting to his expulsion from the party at the Ibadan convention, Mr Anyanwu stated, “On what premise are you expelling us? What platform are you using to expel us? The convention that never held? Every communication to INEC for any congress/convention, I must sign it. 

“I never communicated any letter to INEC for any convention. So, there was no convention. As a matter of fact, there was no convention anywhere. It’s very clear that any convention must be monitored and supervised by INEC. These things were not done.”

Mr Anyanwu also said that two-thirds of the states’ delegates were not at the convention.

“Even the 17 states they said came for that jamboree, we had people who were picked by the roadside and given PDP uniforms to occupy some state podiums,” he said.