On November 3, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Secretariat at Wadata Plaza in Abuja became the scene of intense unrest as supporters backing the party’s National Vice Chairman for the North Central region, Mohammed Abdulrahman, forcefully gathered to demand the removal of the current National Working Committee (NWC) led by Umar Damagum.
Protesters, brandishing placards and chanting slogans of unity, accused the Damagum administration of gross mismanagement and pledged to restore the party’s integrity under Abdulrahman’s leadership. This public display of dissent highlights the deepening divisions within one of Nigeria’s major opposition parties.
“We are reclaiming our party from those who have abused their power. The days of unchecked control are behind us,” declared one demonstrator passionately.
This demonstration is the latest development in a protracted leadership struggle within the PDP. Just last week, following the suspension of National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade for a month, Abdulrahman was appointed Acting National Chairman, a move that intensified factional disputes.
In retaliation, the faction loyal to Anyanwu convened a separate assembly in Abuja, where they announced the suspension of Damagum and his NWC members, further complicating the party’s internal power dynamics.
In response to the escalating tensions, security forces have been stationed at the party’s headquarters to maintain order as rival groups vie for control of the PDP’s national secretariat. This ongoing conflict threatens to undermine the party’s cohesion ahead of upcoming electoral contests.
