Eighty-three days after law enforcement agencies in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) locked down the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), neither of the competing factions has managed to take over the headquarters at Wadata Plaza in Abuja.
The extended closure of the secretariat reveals the intensity of the internal struggles within the leading opposition party, with opposing leadership groups operating from various locations and engaging in legal threats, while a heavy police presence remains at the site.
Attempts made by the two factions to assert control over the secretariat have stalled. The National Working Committee (NWC) led by Dr. Tanimu Turaki (SAN), supported by the party's governors including Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, and the National Caretaker Committee headed by Abdulrahman Mohammed, backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, continue to function outside the official party headquarters while both claim to be the legitimate leadership.
Tensions escalated last Thursday when Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the factional National Caretaker Secretary, declared at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters that his group intended to take over the secretariat the following Monday.
This announcement prompted a strong reaction from the Turaki-led faction. Their National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, expressed that they would resist any attempts to occupy the secretariat, asserting that they would invoke all legal avenues to avert what he termed an unlawful takeover.
During a visit by Daily Trust to the PDP secretariat on Monday, it remained securely under police custody. Security forces had fortified the barricades, and access to the street in front of the complex in Wuse Zone 5 was restricted for vehicles.
When asked why the Caretaker Committee did not proceed as planned, the National Publicity Secretary of the Wike-supported faction, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, stated that they were awaiting the conclusion of police administrative processes.
According to him, they could not occupy the offices without the police's formal approval.
“We are waiting for the police to conclude their administrative procedures. Once that is done, they will give us the go-ahead,” Mohammed explained.
He added that even when access is granted, the office would need to be fumigated and thoroughly cleaned, considering it had been closed for several weeks.
“It is not possible for us to resume today because the police have not finished their processes. The office has been locked for some time and needs to be cleaned. So, it is definitely not possible to get into the office today,” he stated.
When queried about when the police might finish their procedures, Mohammed remarked that it was entirely up to the police.
“You have to confirm from the police. We are waiting for the police to let us know when to resume,” he reiterated.
Addressing the legal battle concerning the secretariat, Mohammed dismissed the Turaki-led group's assertions that the matter remained in court.
“The court has done its job and given judgment in our favour,” he asserted, cautioning that any attempts by the rival faction to replicate the violent incidents from November would be met with a strong legal response.
“They are free to express their opinions as citizens. But any attempt to do what they did in the past will result in serious legal consequences,” he cautioned.
Meanwhile, sources close to the Turaki leadership revealed plans to counter any efforts made by the Wike-backed group if the police were to reopen the premises.
A party insider indicated that the legal proceedings were ongoing and labeled the announcement from the Caretaker Committee's national secretary as mere theatrics.
“I can assure you that the Turaki-led leadership is prepared to return to Wadata Plaza if the police allow access,” the source stated.
Granting access to one faction, the source added, would signify police favoritism in a dispute that is still under judicial review.
While the Turaki-led faction claims to be law-abiding and dedicated to maintaining peace, it will not permit the opposing faction to unlawfully take over the secretariat.
“They will not endorse any actions that could threaten peace or damage party property, but they will not allow the Wike group to occupy the premises improperly,” the source clarified.
The secretariat was sealed in November following a violent skirmish between the rival factions loyal to Wike and those supporting the Turaki-led leadership, which has the endorsement of PDP governors and other supporters.
Supporters from both sides, along with security personnel and party members, were embroiled in chaotic clashes at the headquarters, leading to the deployment of tear gas and injuries to numerous individuals.
This incident also initiated a political deadlock between Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and his colleague from Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, on one side, against the FCT minister on the other.
In the wake of the lockdown, police barricaded the secretariat to prevent both factions, who had vowed to force their way in, from gaining access.
Soon after, the Turaki-led faction went to court seeking an order to occupy the premises, asserting their status as the legitimate party leadership.
At an INEC press gathering last Thursday, Anyanwu revealed that his faction was ready to claim the secretariat that coming Monday.
He reminded that the headquarters had been sealed following the conflict between party factions and reiterated that the other group's attempts to get the police to reopen the office had been unsuccessful.
“We wrote to the police. Remember that the police were the ones who sealed the place, and then the other group went to court to ask for reopening. The matter was dismissed because they lack legitimate standing,” Anyanwu proclaimed.
He maintained that there was no factional division within the PDP, asserting that the party remains under the leadership of the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led Caretaker Committee, which justified their participation at INEC's meeting with political parties.
“Indeed, we experienced court challenges, but just last week Friday, the Federal High Court in Ibadan clarified that the issues concerning the PDP have been resolved because the purported convention of November 15 and 16, 2025, is null and void,” he said.
In response, Ememobong indicated that the Turaki-led faction had been informed of plans by what he termed as 'some expelled members' to forcefully or in collusion with security personnel gain access to the party's national secretariat.
He noted that they had formally communicated with the Inspector-General of Police and the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, reminding them that the secretariat is subject to ongoing legal disputes in the Federal High Court, Abuja, and the Court of Appeal.
He emphasized that allowing access before the conclusion of these cases would constitute self-help and disrespect the courts' authority.
In the midst of this dispute, INEC has clarified that the presence of Anyanwu's Caretaker Committee at recent engagements with political parties does not signify recognition of one faction over another.
In an interview, INEC’s Deputy Director of Publicity, Wilfred Osilama Ifogah, stated that the commission had invited the PDP as a unifying entity, not any specific faction.
“Invitations are extended to the party, rather than individuals,” Ifogah explained, noting that correspondence is typically addressed to the party chairman and secretary.
He reaffirmed that INEC does not decide which officials attend its meetings, reiterating that the commission welcomes whoever the party delegates as representatives.
Addressing concerns about the attendance of solely the Anyanwu-led committee at the meeting, Ifogah dismissed allegations of INEC endorsing that group while neglecting others.
“I was unaware that anyone referred to it as a faction,” he responded, emphasizing that the commission does not concern itself with internal divisions within the party.
As far as the party is concerned, we are not sure who appears. It is simply the party that sends representatives.
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