…as remaining PDP governors under the platform fight to reclaim the party from Wike’s allies.
ABUJA, NIGERIA – The iNews Times | A fresh crisis is brewing within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as state governors elected on the party’s platform square off with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over control of the party’s leadership structure and direction ahead of future elections.
A new twist erupted on Monday in Abuja when loyalists of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, forcefully took over the party’s National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, in the absence of governors elected on the party’s platform and their loyalists.
Members of the National Working Committee, led by the party’s National Chairman, Umar Damagum, who has the support of the PDP governors, were not seen anywhere close to the secretariat when the Wike-backed faction took over on Monday.
As at news time, It was not clear, what the PDP Governors’ Forum, led by Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, have in mind to do, with Damagum appearing to have lost out in the power tussle.
However, a PDP chieftain with knowledge of the matter said Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, Bala Mohammed, and the remaining five PDP governors under the platform would fight to reclaim the party from Wike’s allies.
According to reports, a group aligned with Abdulrahman Mohammed entered the Secretariat in an effort to replace the incumbent National Chairman, Umar Iliya Damagum.
Earlier in the day, party staff resisted the move. They attempted to block the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, from accessing his office following his suspension by the Damagum-led National Working Committee.
The confrontation escalated: security personnel were called in as tempers rose and lines of authority were challenged.
At one point, Abdulrahman Mohammed reportedly walked into Damagum’s office and sat in the chairman’s seat – a symbolic act that deepened the internal rift within the PDP.
The dispute has amplified existing fault lines in the party, with competing claims to legitimacy, calls for new leadership, and appeals for an emergency convention or meeting of the National Executive Committee.
As of Monday night, neither side had fully conceded, and security forces remained at the Secretariat to maintain order.
The incident is being seen as part of larger struggles within the PDP, especially between factions claiming to restore party discipline and those aligned with the current leadership structure.
