Security agencies seal party secretariat after factional chairman assumed duty
Armed security operatives on Monday sealed the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, shortly after Mohammed Abdulrahman, the factional acting national chairman, assumed duty.
The operatives also sealed Legacy House in the Maitama District of Abuja, the office currently used by the party’s National Convention Organising Committee. The party also uses it as its national campaign office.
The development effectively halted activities at both key administrative centres of the opposition party.
Mr Abdulrahman arrived at the party’s national secretariat around 12 noon, accompanied by supporters who cheered and chanted his name as they moved through the premises.
The faction that appointed Mr Abdulrahman as acting chairman is led by Samuel Anyanwu, the embattled national secretary who was suspended on Saturday by the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) after an emergency meeting.
Mr Abdulrahman, backed by a bloc loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, held a closed-door meeting at the secretariat with Mr Anyanwu and other members of the faction.
After the meeting, Mr Abdulrahman addressed journalists, declaring that he had officially assumed office as the acting national chairman of the PDP.
He also disclosed that consultations were ongoing to convene a meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
The factional leaders left the secretariat shortly after the briefing.
How the secretariat was locked
Moments after Mr Abdulrahman and his team departed, armed police officers and personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) arrived at the party secretariat, ordering PDP staff to vacate the building before locking the gates.
The security personnel then took positions around the premises.
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Shortly after, another team of police officers proceeded to seal Legacy House, a building the convention organising committee has been using as headquarters.
It remains unclear which faction ordered the sealing of the two buildings. However, there are speculations that the faction loyal to Mr Anyanwu may be behind the move, given its reported backing from the FCT minister.
There are also indications that the heavy security presence could be a pre-emptive measure to prevent possible clashes between rival factions within the party.