Another round has opened in the crisis rocking the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), as factional Acting National Chairman, Muhammed Abdulrahman, on Monday moved into the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Abdulrahman, who was named acting chairman by a rival faction of the National Working Committee (NWC) last weekend, arrived the Wadata Plaza headquarters amid tight security and cheers from loyal supporters.
His entry signalled a bold claim to the party’s top seat, deepening internal divisions that have paralysed the opposition in recent months.
Eyewitnesses said security operatives stationed around the complex allowed Abdulrahman’s convoy to enter without resistance. Party loyalists chanted slogans in his support as he was ushered into the chairman’s office.
“We are here to restore order and respect for the constitution of our great party,” one supporter declared.
Two Factions, One Party
The crisis took a new turn last Saturday when the PDP NWC, led by Umar Damagum, announced the suspension of four top officers — National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), Deputy Legal Adviser Okechukwu Osuoha, and National Organising Secretary Umar Bature — for one month over alleged anti-party activities.
In swift retaliation, Anyanwu and a parallel group of NWC members convened their own meeting and countered the decision. They announced the suspension of Damagum and five other national officers, also for one month.
The same faction then declared Abdulrahman, the party’s National Vice Chairman (North Central), as the new Acting National Chairman.
“We have resolved to rescue the PDP from those who have abandoned the ideals of internal democracy,” the faction said in a statement.
Party insiders described the unfolding drama as a fierce struggle for control ahead of the PDP’s expected national convention.
The leadership tussle, they warned, could weaken the party’s ability to present a united front in the next election cycle.
The Road Ahead
As of Monday evening, the two factions maintained parallel structures, each claiming legitimacy. Staff at the secretariat said the atmosphere was tense but calm, with many unsure which leadership to report to.
The faction quickly wrote to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to inform it of the suspension of Damagum as Chairman, and appointment of Alhaji Mohammed Abdulrahman as Acting National Chairman.
The development mirrors a long-running pattern in Nigeria’s opposition politics — internal feuds that often end up strengthening the ruling party.
The PDP, which governed Nigeria for sixteen years until 2015, has faced unrelenting crises since losing power.
With Abdulrahman’s physical takeover of Wadata Plaza, the party’s leadership battle now appears to have shifted from mere statements and posturing to real changes of facts on the ground.
Whether INEC or the courts will eventually recognise any faction remains to be seen.
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