By Our Reporters
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a major opposition party in Nigeria, has slipped deeper into turmoil following fresh tensions between rival factions jostling for control of the party’s leadership structure.
What began as quiet disagreement has now snowballed into open hostility, with key power brokers trading accusations, over alleged plots to hijack the party following endless expulsion and suspension of members by factions within the party hierarchy.
The renewed friction has triggered anxiety among party loyalists, many of whom fear the escalating rivalry could further weaken the PDP’s chances of assuming a leading position in the future elections in the country.
During Ibadan convention, PDP, on Saturday, expelled former Rivers State Governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike; factional chairman of the party, Samuel Anyanwu; and former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, from the party over anti-party activities. Others were suspended.
The motion for their expulsion, which was unanimously supported by the members of the party at the ongoing PDP National Convention in Ibadan, was moved by one of the founding fathers of the party, Chief Bode George and seconded by Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed.
However, during the purported National Executive Committee meeting on Tuesday, Nyesom Wike-backed PDP faction expelled Seyi Makinde, Bala Mohammed, for alleged ‘anti-party activities.’
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The faction ratified the removal of Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo; Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi; Dauda Lawal, governor of Zamfara; Adolphus Wabara, former chair of the board of trustees (BoT); Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, former minister; Taofeek Arapaja, deputy national chairman (south); and other key members.
Earlier, loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Wike, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Tuesday had clashed in attempt to control the PDP National secretariat at Wadata House.
Both men arrived at the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja for the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) meetings.
Mr Makinde arrived at the secretariat at about 11:10 a.m., accompanied by the newly elected national chairman of the party, Kabiru Turaki, and other members of their team.
The Oyo governor was at the secretariat to attend the inaugural NEC meeting of the new PDP leadership under Mr Turaki.
Messrs Makinde and Turaki and their entourage, gained access to the secretariat premises and the NEC hall with the assistance of their security details, who cleared the road and kept people at a distance.
A few minutes later, at about 11:20 a.m., Mr Wike arrived in a company of heavily armed security operatives. By the time he got there, Messrs Makinde and Turaki had already settled inside the NEC hall.
Supporters of both factions were chanting solidarity songs and protesting around the secretariat when Mr Wike arrived, prompting police officers stationed at the venue to fire teargas to disperse the rival groups.
At the time of filing this report, Mr Wike was still seated in his vehicle.
Earlier, the Governor of Bauchi State and chairperson of the PDP Governors Forum, Bala Mohammed, had arrived at the venue and taken his seat.
When the former Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, rival faction barricaded him from entering the hall and walked him out.
The discussions taking place inside the NEC hall could not be independently verified at the time, as journalists were barred from accessing the venue.
Meanwhile, Comrade Ini Ememobong, National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, said “You have been tear-gassed. All of us know the truth. Today, some governors have been tear-gassed — for what reason?
Ememobong while addressing the press on Tuesday at the National Headquarters of the party in Abuja. recalled ”Yesterday, the chairman of our party was in a meeting with the Commissioner of Police, and we clearly stated the issues. But this morning, they aided and abetted the entry of people who had been expelled from the party and then prevented the original owners of the party from coming in.
“The true situation is that the police came in. We went in and met people who, immediately they saw that the owners of the party had come, excused themselves. The press was addressed by the national chairman, and we sat there.
“While we were about leaving — and we had postponed the meeting we were supposed to hold on the basis of security — someone was escorted in. The same people who stopped us from coming in, who stopped two governors and the national chairman from coming in, were escorting someone. And so we remained here.”
According to him, “What we expect is the restoration of sanity. And we are calling on the President. History will record this. This is a President who led the opposition for so long, and never at any time was he treated like this. We are not asking him to help the opposition; we are simply asking him to remove his hands from the opposition.
“This one human being has had problems with almost everyone. If you share the problems he has had with his fellow ministers. And if the president cannot call his minister to order, then history will record for him that he destroyed this republic.”
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