Clash at PDP Headquarters in Abuja Turns Violent
By Emmanuel Fateman.
Chaos erupted at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday when police used teargas to disperse supporters from rival factions clashing on the premises.
The disturbance originated from scheduled meetings at Wadata Plaza by two opposing groups—the newly formed National Working Committee (NWC) led by Kabiru Turaki and the faction supported by Nyesom Wike—that were scheduled for the same day.
The situation worsened when Samuel Anyanwu, the national secretary aligned with Wike, arrived with his faction for their planned Board of Trustees (BoT) and National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings. As supporters engaged in heated exchanges, scuffles broke out, and security personnel struggled to keep order. Ultimately, police ordered everyone, including party officials, to leave the premises.
With tensions high, officers deployed teargas canisters, causing chaos as politicians, staff, journalists, and supporters hurried to escape. The sudden use of teargas triggered a stampede, with many coughing, shielding their faces, and fleeing into nearby streets.
Supporters from both groups outside the building brandished cudgels and makeshift weapons as confrontations intensified.
Later, reinforcements arrived to restore calm around the headquarters, but hostility continued as both factions blamed each other for the violence.
