Kabiru Turaki on Tuesday formally stepped into his role as the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), taking charge after a tense confrontation at the party’s Wadata Plaza headquarters in Abuja.
His assumption of office followed hours of turmoil caused by opposing factions within the party.
“For the past seven hours, Nigerians are living witnesses to the struggle we’ve been engaged in with those renegade members of our party that were expelled at our national convention in Ibadan,” Turaki said as he spoke to journalists about the earlier disturbance. He explained that the opposing group arrived with “armed thugs” whom the PDP leadership had anticipated would attempt to disrupt their activities. Turaki noted that despite the tension, they were able to keep the situation under control.
He further declared, “Now, we have driven them out of the secretariat, and, as you can see, I have entered my office; I have assumed leadership as the elected chairman.” His comments came as reports indicated that rival factions had clashed at the PDP secretariat, escalating the party’s internal leadership crisis.
Security personnel were deployed to maintain order as Samuel Anyanwu and others aligned with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, refused to leave the premises. The situation intensified when Turaki arrived alongside Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and members of the newly elected PDP executive committee.
Chaos erupted when Anyanwu’s supporters attempted to obstruct the group from accessing the building, prompting police officers to release teargas. Turaki later recounted the confrontation, saying, “If we had not exercised restraint, if we had not controlled our members and our leaders, there would have been bloodshed here.” He revealed that they had been “tear-gassed” and estimated that more than “50 canisters of tear gas had been shot at us,” yet their determination did not waver.
Despite the confrontation, the PDP chairman reaffirmed the party’s commitment to national stability, declaring that they would continue to “defend democracy; we shall continue to act as the vanguards of democracy.” He concluded by stating that his assumption of office signaled that “PDP is back on course.”
The latest developments unfolded only days after the PDP conducted its convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, a gathering marked by conflicting court orders—one permitting the event, another halting it. During the convention, the party expelled Anyanwu, Wike, former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose and others over allegations of anti-party conduct.
However, Anyanwu and his faction rejected the expulsion, dismissing the entire process as a “jamboree” and an act of illegality.
What you should know
Kabiru Turaki’s takeover as PDP chairman comes at a turbulent moment for the party, with internal divisions deepening following the Ibadan convention.
The clash at the Abuja secretariat highlights the extent of factional rivalry involving figures like Samuel Anyanwu and Nyesom Wike.
While Turaki insists the party is stabilizing, tensions remain unresolved as expelled members challenge the legitimacy of recent decisions.
