Nigeria: PDP factional crisis deepens: Turaki, Wike factions set for showdown at Abuja Secretariat

By Zuleihat Owuiye, Mamos Nigeria

There’s a major showdown brewing in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as two factions are set to clash at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja today. The newly elected National Chairman, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki, has called an inaugural meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) at the secretariat, while the faction loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has scheduled an emergency meeting of the Board of Trustees (BoT) and National Executive Committee (NEC).

Turaki has informed the police about his plans to reclaim the secretariat and hold the meeting, citing attempts by expelled members to disrupt the event. He emphasized that the party will not be intimidated and will defend itself if necessary.

The crisis in the PDP deepened after Turaki’s faction expelled Wike and other prominent members at the party’s national convention in Ibadan. Wike’s camp has dismissed the expulsions as invalid and is pushing ahead with its own meetings.

Former Niger State Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu has likened the expulsion of some PDP members to a surgical procedure aimed at removing a “cancerous tumor” to give the party a new lease on life.

Turaki has vowed to reconcile with aggrieved members, saying he’s willing to kneel to plead for peace and restore democracy. However, he warned that reconciliation won’t be possible with those who persistently undermine the party.