Abuja, Nigeria Tensions flared at the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja on Monday as supporters of the factional acting National Chairman, Mohammed Abdulrahman, staged a protest demanding the immediate exit of the Umar Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC).
Chanting solidarity songs and waving banners, the protesters stormed Wadata Plaza, the party’s national headquarters, accusing the current leadership of mismanaging party affairs and undermining internal democracy.
The demonstration follows a deepening leadership crisis within the opposition party. Last week, a faction named Mohammed Abdulrahman as acting national chairman after suspending the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, for one month.
In a counter move, the faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, met at a separate venue in Abuja and announced the suspension of the Damagum-led NWC, further escalating tensions.
Security operatives were deployed around the secretariat to prevent violence as both factions sought control of the party’s premises.
Witnesses said that Abdulrahman’s supporters gained entry into the National Chairman’s office, symbolically taking charge of the party’s leadership structure.
Addressing journalists shortly after, Abdulrahman vowed to reunite and reposition the PDP ahead of future elections.
“We are ready to work in the interest of our dear party,” he said. “Our mission is to restore unity and ensure the PDP reclaims its rightful place in Nigeria’s political space.”
The PDP, once Nigeria’s dominant political party, has faced persistent internal divisions since losing power in 2015. The latest confrontation underscores ongoing power struggles that continue to threaten its stability and cohesion ahead of the 2027 general elections.
