PDP National Chairman, Turaki, Governor Bala Mohammed, Governor Seyi Makinde and others during a meeting at the party's National Secretariat in Abuja
Newly elected National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tanimu Turaki, has requested police protection ahead of what could become a tense showdown at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday.
Speaking to journalists after a visit to the FCT Police Command, Turaki said his team intends to formally take control of the Wadata Plaza headquarters, where two rival meetings have been scheduled by opposing factions.
Turaki and his National Working Committee (NWC), elected at the controversial Ibadan convention, fixed their inaugural session with party stakeholders for 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
However, another faction—led by Muhammed Abdulrahman and aligned with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike—has called for an emergency NEC meeting at 11 a.m., followed by a BoT gathering at 2 p.m., all at the same venue.
Turaki explained that his visit to the police was to notify the Commissioner of plans for the inaugural meeting. According to him, governors, BoT members, founding leaders and other key organs of the party have already been invited.
He dismissed the meeting notices issued by embattled National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, insisting that Anyanwu and his allies no longer hold membership status within the PDP.
Turaki stressed that decisions reached at the national convention supersede all other internal directives.
“Our national convention has taken a decision to expel these elements from the party. So, they are no longer members of our party,” he said. “We have reported the moves they are making to the police. We don’t want any situation where there will be a breach of peace. As leaders… we want peace to be sustained. This democracy that our leaders, our forefathers, have sacrificed their lives to bring to this level, we shall be ready to also give our own life to sustain this democracy.”
He added that the secretariat, locked since November 3, would be reopened under his leadership.
“We are holding the meeting in our national secretariat, which is the Wadata House, and anybody that is sitting there without our consent and permission is an interloper,” Turaki said. He noted that his team never requested security agencies to seal the offices and now intends to resume full operations from the building.
“I have assured the Commissioner of Police of the FCT that while we will ensure that no breach of the peace [occurs]… we will be there to defend ourselves and our integrity as Nigerians,” he added.
Reaffirming his stance, Turaki declared, “Let me reiterate again for avoidance of doubt, we will be there to defend our party, to defend this nascent democracy; we are prepared to lay down our lives.”
The PDP secretariat remains under lock and key due to the intensifying rift within the National Working Committee, according to NAN reports.
