Protests erupted on Monday at Wadata Plaza, the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, as supporters loyal to the party’s National Vice Chairman (North Central), Mohammed Abdulrahman, stormed the premises demanding the immediate resignation of the Umar Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC).
Chanting solidarity songs and waving placards, the protesters accused the Damagum leadership of “mismanaging party affairs” and vowed to “reclaim the party’s soul” for the Abdulrahman-led faction.
“We are here to take back our party. The era of impunity and manipulation is over,” declared one protester.
The demonstration followed recent developments in the PDP’s escalating leadership crisis. Last week, Abdulrahman was appointed as the Acting National Chairman following the suspension of the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, for one month. This decision has further divided the opposition party.
In a counter-move, the Anyanwu-led faction convened a separate meeting in Abuja, where they announced the suspension of Damagum and members of his NWC, intensifying the power struggle between rival factions.
Security personnel have been deployed to the party’s headquarters to prevent a breakdown of law and order as both factions compete for control of the PDP’s national secretariat.
