A profound leadership dispute within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) culminated in widespread chaos and confrontation at the party's national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday. Rival factions, each asserting legitimate control, clashed physically and politically, leading to the deployment of teargas and a tense standoff involving prominent figures.

The core of the dispute centers around two main factions: one led by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed (also chairperson of the PDP Governors Forum) and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, which supports the newly elected national chairperson, Kabiru Turaki, and national secretary, Taofeek Arapaja. This faction had held a national convention in Ibadan the previous weekend, where it reportedly expelled FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, his faction's acting national chairperson, Mohammed Abdulrahman, and nine others from the party. The opposing faction, led by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, alongside acting national chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed and embattled National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, vehemently rejected the Ibadan convention and Mr. Turaki’s election, citing existing court orders that had halted the exercise.

Both factions had independently scheduled National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings, and in some cases, Board of Trustees (BoT) meetings, for the same venue—the PDP national secretariat in Abuja—on Tuesday, setting the stage for an inevitable confrontation. Police officers, anticipating trouble, had barricaded the party compound early in the day. However, tensions escalated significantly with the arrival of key leaders.

Governor Bala Mohammed, accompanied by his entourage, arrived at approximately 10:45 a.m. to attend the inaugural NEC meeting convened by the Turaki-led leadership. Although he and his supporters initially gained access through the main gate, security operatives prevented their entry into the NEC hall, leading to a brief struggle before the governor and a few members of his team eventually forced their way inside. Subsequently, Governor Seyi Makinde arrived around 11:10 a.m., also accompanied by Kabiru Turaki and other team members, similarly gaining access to the premises and the NEC hall. Amid these arrivals, supporters engaged in heated altercations with officers, and some even scaled the perimeter fence in attempts to reach the venue, prompting police to fire teargas to disperse the crowds.

The situation intensified further around 11:15 a.m. or 11:20 a.m. when FCT Minister Nyesom Wike arrived in a convoy of heavily armed security operatives. By this time, Governors Makinde and Mohammed were already inside the secretariat. A critical point of contention arose when the governors' motorcades were used to block Mr. Wike's convoy from entering or moving freely within the compound. Despite the obstruction, Mr. Wike eventually gained entry but remained seated inside his vehicle, refusing to vacate the premises, while supporters of both factions chanted solidarity songs and protested, leading to more teargas being fired by police to control the rival groups.

A direct and heated altercation ensued between Governor Bala Mohammed and the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) of the FCT, Ishiaku Sharu, and later, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Dantawaye Miller. Governor Mohammed angrily questioned Mr. Wike’s presence, stating, “Why is he here? He (Wike) entered here illegally.” He insisted that they were not merely there for the PDP but to “fight for this democracy,” vowing that they would only leave if Wike also departed. CP Miller appealed for calm and attempted to de-escalate the situation, explaining that he could not compel Mr. Wike to leave while the governors’ convoys were blocking the exit route. He urged both sides to move their vehicles so police could secure the facility properly. Despite the pleas, neither side relented, and Governor Mohammed and Makinde appeared visibly affected by the teargas that was intermittently deployed.

As of the time of reporting, the party secretariat remained in a tense standoff, with the governors and other officials inside, Mr. Wike still in his vehicle, and journalists barred from accessing the NEC hall. The police faced accusations of failing to maintain neutrality amidst the escalating leadership crisis, as the deeply entrenched factions continued their struggle for control of the opposition party’s headquarters, leaving the immediate future of the PDP in an uncertain and volatile state.