Again, security personnel takeover PDP’s Wadata House as factional groups battle for the heart of party

CYRIL MBAH, Abuja

The Wadata House National Secretariat of the nation’s main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was again taken over on Monday as two factions of the party continued their endless bickering and tussling over the leadership of the party.

There were indications that the two rival groups would organise parallel meetings in the place of the scheduled National Executive Committee (NEC) planned for June 30, 2025.

Armed policemen and other plaincloths security personnel took over the PDP Headquarters as early as 6am and prevented both staff,  NWC members and newsmen from gaining entry into the premises.

A staff member of the party, identified as Thomas Ibu, who defied the police and entered the office, was arrested and whisked away to an unknown destination by the policemen.

The lingering dispute centered on whether Monday’s gathering, although scheduled but disputed should be regarded as legitimate as a NEC meeting or should be accepted as an expanded national caucus meeting.

The Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, who leads one faction, planned to convene an expanded caucus meeting at 2 pm, after reinstating embattled Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary, after allegedly meeting with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

On the other hand, the National Working Committee (NWC), supported by Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Taofeek Arapaja and 11 other members, alongside the Board of Trustees (BoT), insisted that the previously scheduled 100th NEC meeting remains valid under the PDP constitution.

The crisis which has simmered for so long came to a head as a result of procedural irregularities, which was discovered and underlined by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which also rejected the NEC letter because it was allegedly signed only by Umar Damagum, while the required co-signature in the person of the national secretary was omitted.

Damagum argued that INEC’s intervention gives legitimacy to Anyanwu’s reinstatement and strengthens the case for an expanded caucus meeting but this was strongly rejected by the NWC and BoT, arguing that the NEC meeting remains supreme and binding.

Tension rose very high on Monday as all roads leading to Wadata House were blocked while the National Secretariat was sealed-off by the police. Amid the uncertainties within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the disputed position of National Secretary and the  100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, the two groups met separately to decide the way out.

Our correspondent, who witnessed the incident at the PDP National Secretariat from a safe distance, stated that many police personnel surrounded and subdued the PDP staff while bystanders, party members and journalists watched in dismay.

Interestingly, while the siege by the Police at the Wadata House lasted, PDP governors gathered at the Bauchi State Governor’s Lodge at Asokoro District of Abuja for a crucial meeting and no communique has been issued as at the time of going to press.