In another twist to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crisis, Vice Chairman (Northcentral) Abdulrahman Mohammed, accompanied by supporters, yesterday swept into the Wadata Plaza National Secretariat and moved into the National Chairman’s office.
He was proclaimed acting National Chairman by a faction on Friday following the suspension and counter-suspension by National Working Committee (NWC) member.
Mohammed belongs to the National Secretary’s faction in the Samuel Anyanwu versus National Chairman Iliya Damagum’s face-off.
The face-off was escalated after Friday’s judgment by Justice James Omotoso of the Federal High Court which invalidated the November 15-16 National Convention of the party and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognise the convention if held.
The take-over was not without a drama as some national secretariat staff members loyal to Damagum, who was not in office yesterday, attempted to forcibly remove Anyanwu from the Secretariat.
The Police moved in and calmed the situation before eventually ordering all staff members and visitors out of the secretariat after which the main gate was shut.
On arrival, Mohammed was received by Anyanwu, who conducted him round the offices in the secretariat.
However, a group within the party, the ‘PDP Patriots,’ flayed Mohammed and pledged its support and loyalty to the Damagum camp.
Led by the former Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Mike Omeri, they said it was curious that Mohammed who was suspended turned around to proclaim himself as national chairman.
There were speculations that Damagun, who was suspended by the Anyanwu faction, earlier met his faction of the NWC.
Mohammed said: ‘Today is another good day for the PDP family across Nigeria. You can see that everyone is happy to have a new leadership in the PDP. I am here as the Acting National Chairman of our great party, and by the grace of God, under my leadership, I will do everything possible to bring everyone together under one umbrella.
‘PDP is beyond one individual. We will work as a team to ensure a smooth process that will lead to a successful outing in 2027.’
He pledged to engage stakeholders across the country to heal divisions within the party and restore the confidence of members and supporters.
Mohammed added: ‘We will liaise with everyone, hear from them, and receive their guidance to make PDP one united family again. By the grace of God, we will sustain our slogan – power to the people – because power belongs to the people. We are confident that we will reclaim power in 2027.’
On how the party plans to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), despite the internal crises, Mohammed said his faction would be guided by the party’s constitution.
He said: ‘We are assuring Nigerians that by 2027, power will return to the PDP. We are currently reviewing our constitution to ensure that all organs of the party function effectively. We will normalize structures across the 36 states and the FCT to guarantee a smooth internal process.’
Mohammed expressed optimism that his leadership would mark a turning point, saying: ‘We are determined to rebuild the PDP as a credible opposition. We will not allow internal conflicts to distract us from our goal of reclaiming power and delivering better governance to Nigerians.’
‘BoT should intervene in crisis’
The ‘PDP Patriots,’ which reiterated its support for Damagum, urged the Board of Trustees (BoT) to urgently find a lasting solution to the crisis.
Omeri told reporters in Abuja that as the custodians and conscience of the party, the BoT should, as a matter of urgency, intervene and restore order.
He said: ‘We wish to unequivocally dissociate ourselves from the so-called suspended members of the party who inadvertently claimed to be acting National Chairman of the party.’
‘This was done without consultation, and the defendants in the case unashamedly converted themselves to plaintiffs in a case they sought to prosecute in the interest of members of the party nationwide. In addition, they invaded the party headquarters, promoting thuggery and attempting to take over the party unlawfully.
‘In this regard, we call on members of the PDP Board of Trustees, who are the custodians and conscience of the party, to, as a matter of urgency, step in and find a lasting and remedial solution to the current affairs of the party.’