Tension escalated on Tuesday at the Wadata Plaza National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the Samuel Anyanwu and Kabiru Taminu Turaki factions moved to hold parallel meetings at the same location in a fresh battle for control of the party structure.
Security around the Zone 5 Secretariat was significantly tightened, with police officers, DSS operatives, and other security personnel deployed to prevent possible clashes. Small groups of supporters from both camps gathered outside, drumming, singing, and showing solidarity as the standoff built.
Members invited by the Anyanwu-led faction for its NEC meeting started arriving early. Anyanwu himself got to the Secretariat around 8:50 a.m. and proceeded straight to his office.
As of 9:27 a.m., Turaki’s loyalists were yet to arrive, though sources claimed they were mobilizing and expected to reach the venue shortly.
Addressing journalists, Anyanwu confirmed that he requested the deployment of security personnel, noting that it is standard procedure whenever the party convenes a NEC meeting due to the expected crowd and the sensitivity of the situation.
He said: “I wrote to the security agencies and I wrote NEC on the 14th of November informing them of the NEC/BoT meeting scheduled for today. I am the National Secretary of the party and my tenure runs till December 8.”
Reacting to the planned meeting by the Turaki group, he added, “We are going for our meeting and we do not expect any intruder. He is coming to hold a meeting here as what?”
