Security operatives on Tuesday fired tear gas at Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, and their loyalists as a fierce confrontation erupted at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja – the clearest sign yet that the party’s leadership crisis has spiralled into open hostility.
The dramatic scene unfolded after two rival PDP factions, one aligned with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, and the other led by Makinde and Mohammed scheduled parallel meetings for the same time and venue, triggering heavy police deployment around the complex from the early hours of Tuesday.
It was learnt that security operatives, acting on intelligence of an imminent clash, stationed armed policemen and patrol vans at strategic points around the Legacy House and the PDP Secretariat.
But tensions boiled over when the Makinde–Mohammed bloc arrived for its meeting only to meet Wike’s loyalists attempting to enter the same conference hall for a separate NEC and Board of Trustees session convened by the embattled National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
It was also gathered that harsh verbal exchanges quickly erupted between the two camps before police fired volleys of tear gas canisters to disperse an expanding crowd of supporters. Party members fled in multiple directions as chaos overtook the premises.
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The confrontation comes just days after the controversial expulsion of Wike, former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, and Anyanwu at the PDP national convention in Ibadan a move pushed through by former National Vice Chairman (South) Bode George and seconded by Bauchi PDP Chairman Samaila Buga. That decision has deepened the party’s internal fracture.
On Monday, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang openly denounced the expulsions, insisting he had no prior knowledge of the motion. In a statement by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere, Mutfwang described the action as hasty and unstrategic, warning that removing key figures at a critical time undermines efforts to rebuild the party. He said the decision did not reflect his position and that major stakeholders were sidelined.
Tuesday’s tear-gas confrontation marks the most dramatic escalation yet in the PDP’s intensifying turmoil, a crisis that now threatens the opposition party’s structure and stability ahead of the pivotal 2027 general elections.
As of press time, police remained barricaded around the secretariat, restricting movement and preventing factional leaders from reconvening. More updates are still expected as the situation develops.
