Dare Babalola
A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by its newly elected National Chairman Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN) has postponed its inaugural National Working Committee (NWC) meeting to Wednesday, November 19, citing incidents caused by “enemies of progress and democracy”.
The meeting was initially scheduled for Tuesday at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, but was rescheduled due to security concerns and conflicting meetings with another faction led by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
The Wike faction had announced its own NEC and BoT meetings at the same venue, prompting heavy security deployment and an early-morning showdown.
The faction, accompanied by Governors Seyi Makinde and Bala Mohammed, had sought police protection to access the secretariat, claiming the other faction’s meetings were unauthorised, having been expelled at the recent national convention in Ibadan.
Speaking to journalists after a clash, Turaki emphasised that his faction is prepared to defend their rights and the party’s integrity, stating, “I am pleased that the Commissioner upheld his promise to protect us and ensured we gained entry to the Secretariat. However, due to incidents instigated by enemies of progress and democracy, we have decided to postpone the inaugural NWC meeting of this administration until tomorrow.”
Turaki accused the rival faction of attempting to disrupt the meeting, saying, “They came armed to fight us, but the police have stood up to their responsibility.”
He commended the police for maintaining order and protecting party members.
The PDP chairman warned of a serious threat to democracy in Nigeria, appealing to the international community for support. “Democracy must survive, and if it means laying down our lives, we’re prepared to do that,” he said.
Turaki condemned the use of teargas against party members, saying, “This is not police teargas, I don’t know how they procured it.” He assured members that the party has taken over the secretariat and will continue to lead from there.
