The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) relocated its Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting from Wadata Plaza, its national headquarters in Abuja, to the Yar’Adua Centre in the Central Business District, following a heavy police presence that barred BoT members from accessing the secretariat.
The PDP announced the venue change on its official X handle, stating, “The Meeting of the Board of Trustees (BoT) Meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) earlier scheduled to hold by 10am at the Party’s National Secretariat in Abuja has been moved to Yar’Adua Centre, Central Business District, Abuja.”
The party condemned the actions of the FCT Police Command, describing the barricade as “harassment” and noting that armed officers prevented BoT members, including Maina Chiroma, from entering Wadata Plaza.
Former National Secretary Umar Tsauri told Channels Television that police cited an “order from above” for the restriction. The BoT members, denied entry, proceeded to the Yar’Adua Centre, where PDP supporters and journalists observed their arrival.
The FCT Police Command, through spokesperson Josephine Adeh, clarified that officers were deployed to maintain law and order, not to seal the secretariat.
“Police officers were only deployed to the venue to maintain law and order and ensure public safety in line with their constitutional mandate. At no time was the Secretariat sealed off by the Police,” Adeh stated.
This follows a similar incident on May 26, 2025, when the FCT Administration sealed Wadata Plaza, forcing a BoT meeting to relocate.
The standoff coincides with heightened tensions over parallel meetings—a National Executive Committee (NEC) session and an expanded national caucus—scheduled by rival PDP factions, exacerbating the party’s leadership crisis.
The dispute centers on Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum’s decisions, particularly his June 25, 2025, directive reinstating Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary, despite a Court of Appeal ruling upholding Sunday Ude-Okoye in the role.
Damagum also postponed the 100th NEC meeting, a move the National Working Committee (NWC) rejected, asserting that only the NEC can make such decisions. The NWC insisted the NEC meeting would proceed on June 30, 2025.
The National Secretary position remains a flashpoint, with ongoing litigation. A Supreme Court judgment in March 2025 has been interpreted differently by both sides, and on June 25, Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja set September 22, 2025, for a hearing on the matter.
The PDP’s internal crisis, ongoing for years, has led to repeated NEC meeting postponements and factional disputes, weakening its position as Nigeria’s main opposition party ahead of the 2027 elections.
What You Should Know
- The PDP moved its BoT meeting from Wadata Plaza to Yar’Adua Centre on June 30, 2025, after police barred members from the secretariat.
- The party condemned the police action as “harassment,” while the FCT Police Command said officers were deployed to maintain order, not seal the premises.
- The crisis stems from Acting Chairman Umar Damagum’s reinstatement of Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary, opposed by the NWC and a court ruling favoring Sunday Ude-Okoye.
- Rival factions planned parallel NEC and caucus meetings, deepening the PDP’s leadership rift.
- Legal battles over the National Secretary role continue, with a Federal High Court hearing scheduled for September 22, 2025.
