Factions head for showdown at PDP secretariat

• Different camps plan meetings for national secretariat
• Turaki: Wike, Anyanwu, others remain expelled

All indications point to a major showdown at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Secretariat in Abuja today.

The newly elected national leadership, led by Alhaji Taminu Turaki, yesterday vowed to face off with the Muhammed Abdulrahman-led faction.

Both camps announced high-level meetings today at the Wadata Plaza national secretariat.

The faction led by Abdulrahman, believed to be loyal to Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, scheduled emergency meetings of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) for today while the Turaki faction plans an inaugural meeting.

They are billed at the same venue at almost the same time.

Turaki met with the FCT Commissioner of Police yesterday, accompanied by other party leaders.

He said his team was prepared to confront anyone attempting to disrupt their gathering.

Turaki described members of the opposing camp as “no longer members of the PDP,” insisting their expulsion at the Ibadan convention remains binding.

According to him, the newly-elected NWC was willing to “lay down their lives” to defend the party’s mandate and Nigeria’s democracy.

He said the outgoing leadership was, by the party’s earlier timetable, expected to hand over between December 1 and December 8, since the Damagum-led tenure officially ends on December 8.

He told reporters: “We came to interface with the Commissioner of Police regarding our meeting tomorrow. We are holding our inaugural National Working Committee meeting of the PDP.

“At this meeting, we have invited our stakeholders, founding fathers, governors, National Assembly members, Board of Trustees members, state chairmen and other critical stakeholders.

“As law-abiding citizens, we came to notify the police ahead of the meeting. This is our first gathering since the Ibadan national convention.”

Turaki dismissed the parallel NEC and BoT notices issued by the Anyanwu faction, insisting that those behind the notices have been expelled.

“Next to God in the management of a political party is the National Convention. Its decision overrides all others. Our National Convention has made a decision to expel these elements. They are no longer members of our party,” he said.

He said the police had been alerted to forestall a breakdown of law and order.

“This democracy that our forefathers sacrificed their lives for, we are ready to also give our lives to sustain it,” Turaki declared.

He said the new leadership would access the national secretariat today with or without assistance from the police.

“Anybody occupying our offices without our consent is an interloper.

“We will go there, open the offices and begin to perform the functions for which we were elected,” he said.

Turaki added that the Commissioner of Police assured them of protection.

“We shall be there at 10 a.m. I will lead from the front. We expect the police to provide the protection we are entitled to under the law.”

The notice by the Abdulrahman-led faction, signed by the “expelled” National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, said the BoT meeting would be held at 11 a.m. while the NEC meets at 2 p.m., both at Wadata Plaza.

The Ibadan convention, where Wike, Anyanwu and others were expelled, was held despite conflicting orders on its validity.

On October 11, Justice James Omotosho ordered the maintenance of the status quo in a suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025, filed by Austine Nwachukwu (PDP Chairman in Imo State); Amah Abraham Nnanna (PDP Chairman, Abia State) and Turnah George, Secretary, PDP Southsouth).

In a judgment on October 31, Justice Omotosho ordered that preparations for the convention be put on hold pending when the PDP would comply with the provisions of its constitution, the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act.

The judge restrained INEC from monitoring the convention until the PDP complies with the relevant laws in relation to the holding of a convention.

On November 5, Justice Ladiran Akintola of the High Court of Oyo State issued an ex-parte order, granting permission to the PDP to proceed with its planned convention.

On November 11, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja issued an order of interim injunction stopping the PDP from proceeding with plans for the convention.

The order, which was to subsist pending the determination of the substantive suit, was issued in a suit filed by former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, who claimed to have been prevented from obtaining form to contest the party’s chairman position.

On November 13, Justice Akintola extended his earlier order, granting permission to the PDP to proceed with the convention.

On November 14, Justice Lifu delivered judgment in the suit by Lamido and ordered the PDP not to hold the convention without Lamido’s being allowed to contest the chairmanship position.

How Wike, others were expelled

Also yesterday, fresh details emerged on how Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and other key party leaders coordinated the expulsion of Wike, Anyanwu and others during Saturday’s national convention.

Sources told our reporter that both Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who chaired the convention planning committee, and Plateau State Governor Caleb Maftwang were deliberately kept in the dark about the plan to expel Wike and his allies.

“Fintiri is Wike’s friend. They feared he could have sabotaged the plan or even withdrawn from the convention if he was informed,” a source said.

The source said the motion for expulsion, moved by Chief Bode George, shocked both governors.

“They immediately dissociated themselves because they knew nothing about it until the motion was made.”

The source described the convention as a “carefully choreographed operation” designed to outwit Wike’s supporters and ensure the party charted a new direction. (The Nation)