By Charles Pemu 
A fresh wave of crisis swept through the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday as a protest erupted at the party’s national secretariat, Wadata Plaza in Abuja. Supporters of the factional acting National Chairman, Mohammed Abdulrahman, stormed the premises, demanding the immediate exit of the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Umar Damagum.
The demonstrating group chanted solidarity songs as they accused the Damagum-led NWC of mismanaging party affairs. They vowed to seize control of the secretariat on behalf of the Abdulrahman-led faction, whose emergence follows a deepening internal crisis.
This power struggle escalated last week when the faction loyal to Abdulrahman announced the suspension of the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, for one month. In a counter-move reported previously, the faction aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, announced the suspension of the Damagum-led NWC.
In a significant development, the faction backing Abdulrahman successfully took control of the party’s National Chairman’s office within the secretariat.
Speaking to journalists from the seized office, the new acting Chairman, Mohammed Abdulrahman, pledged to unite and reposition the party ahead of the next general election. He assured party members of his commitment to working diligently for the party’s progress, stating, “We are ready to work in the interest of our dear party.”
Security operatives have been rapidly deployed to the area to prevent a breakdown of law and order as the rival factions struggle for physical control of the party’s headquarters.