The crisis ticking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a different turn on Tuesday when two rival factions clashed over control of the headquarters of the party.
The chaotic scene witnessed at the Wadata plaza prompted the police to fire multiple rounds of tear gas to disperse supporters.
TheHintsNews reports that the confrontation erupted ahead of parallel meetings scheduled by the two factions — the National Working Committee (NWC) elected recently in Ibadan, led by the newly elected National Chairman Tanimu Turaki, and the faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, which has Samuel Anyanwu, the National Secretary.
Recall that Anyanwu, Wike, Ayo Fayose, among others were expelled by the Ibadan convention.
During the physical confrontation, Governors Seyi Makinde and Bala Mohammed, accompanied by Turaki, arrived at the secretariat and forced their way into the National Executive Committee (NEC)hall to convene their meeting.
However, their arrival was met with stiff resistance from the pro-Wike group who were already inside the premises.
It was at this point that the two factions went physical over control of the party’s national secretariat.
The governors’ faction eventually overpowered the Wike-backed group, pushing them out of the secretariat compound.
Wike later arrived in a convoy, forcing his way through. But by the time he arrived, his faction had already been forced out of the premises