Chaos At Wadata Plaza: Makinde, Bala, Turaki Face Off With Wike In Explosive PDP Showdown

A tense confrontation erupted on Tuesday at the national headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party in Abuja, where opposing factions clashed over control in the midst of the party’s escalating leadership crisis. According to Ireporter Online, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, and the newly elected National Chairman, Tanimu Turaki, arrived at Wadata Plaza in a convoy but remained inside Bala Mohammed’s vehicle, citing heightened security concerns around the premises.

Simultaneously, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, was also inside his vehicle within the compound and refused to leave as the standoff intensified. Earlier in the day, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, a prominent member of the Wike-aligned faction, stormed the secretariat with his supporters and spoke to journalists. He derided the leadership produced at the Ibadan convention, insisting that his group remained the authentic authority within the party.

Anyanwu and his loyalists were preparing to hold a meeting inside the NEC Hall when Makinde, Bala Mohammed, and members of the newly inaugurated National Working Committee suddenly entered the building. Despite heavy security barricades, the governors forced their way into the hall and addressed the press, announcing that meetings of the Board of Trustees and National Executive Committee had been shifted to Wednesday due to the volatile atmosphere.

Turaki later asserted that Anyanwu and his supporters were “no longer members of the party,” vowing to defend the mandate given to the new NWC. The standoff worsened when Wike arrived at the secretariat, pushing through the intense security presence, which prompted Makinde, Bala, and Turaki to remain on the premises instead of exiting.

Security operatives eventually ordered everyone, including journalists, to leave the area amid fears that the situation could spiral out of control. However, the governors and PDP leaders reportedly refused to leave unless Wike was also compelled to exit the party headquarters.