Chaos erupted at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national secretariat in Wadata Plaza, Abuja, as rival factions loyal to Nyesom Wike and Kabiru Turaki clashed in a violent struggle for control.

The confrontation, which began early Tuesday morning, saw supporters trading blows, chanting slogans, and police firing tear gas to disperse crowds, forcing the postponement of inaugural meetings and underscoring the party’s deepening divisions.

The standoff began around 8 a.m. when the Wike-aligned faction, led by Acting National Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed and National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, arrived for scheduled National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) sessions. Placard-waving supporters blocked access, chanting “Turaki Must Go.” By mid-morning, Turaki, backed by Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, stormed the gates with Deputy Chairman Taofeek Arapaja, only to be met with resistance from private security and protesters.

Heavy police deployment followed, with masked operatives firing tear gas to clear the area. Deputy Commissioner Miller G. Dantawaye denied police involvement in scuffles, insisting officers only cleared paths for dignitaries. Amid the chaos, Turaki gained entry to the NEC Hall, declaring himself the elected national chairman and postponing the National Working Committee (NWC) meeting to November 19. He vowed to “lay down our lives” for democracy and even appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump for intervention.

FCT Minister Wike arrived later but remained in his vehicle, escalating tensions. Governors Makinde and Bala refused to leave until Wike departed, with Makinde declaring, “We are ready to stay here for two weeks.” The Wike faction held a parallel NEC/BoT session, expelling Makinde, Bala, Lawal, BoT Chairman Adolphus Wabara, Turaki, Arapaja, Bode George, and others for “anti-party activities.” Anyanwu ratified the dissolution of state executives in Bauchi, Oyo, Zamfara, Yobe, Lagos, Edo, and Ekiti, appointing caretaker committees and ordering seat recovery from defectors under constitutional provisions.

The Turaki faction condemned the takeover as a “threat to democracy,” while Makinde accused security forces of bias. Police spokesperson Josephine Adeh later clarified that footage showed officers removing private security obstructing governors, not clashing with them.

The melee stems from the disputed November 15–16 Ibadan convention, where Turaki’s group elected a new NWC amid boycotts by Wike allies. That faction expelled Wike and Anyanwu for “disloyalty,” while Wike’s camp dismissed the convention as unauthorized, citing court orders. The crisis, rooted in Wike’s fallout with President Tinubu, threatens PDP’s viability ahead of the 2027 elections, though governors like Makinde insist the party will endure.