Supporters loyal to the Nyesom Wike-aligned faction of the Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday flooded the streets surrounding Wadata Plaza, the party’s national headquarters in Wuse, Zone 5, Abuja, intensifying the struggle for control of the opposition party.
The crowd, made up largely of women and youth groups, held placards openly rejecting the party’s newly declared National Chairman, Tanimu Turaki, SAN. Some of the inscriptions read, “No to Turaki” and “Turaki must go,” reflecting their dissatisfaction with his emergence at the weekend convention boycotted by the Wike faction.
Both factions had earlier announced plans to hold their executive meetings at the secretariat on Tuesday, setting the stage for a confrontation.
By 9:45 a.m., the Wike-backed group had taken possession of the premises. Led by the recently removed Acting National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, the faction arrived with a contingent of heavily armed police officers.
Security personnel were quickly deployed to key spots around the plaza and adjoining streets, creating a tight cordon as tensions continued to rise.
As of the time of filing this report, members of the Turaki-aligned camp had yet to arrive at the party headquarters.
