KABIRU Turaki on Tuesday assumed office as the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). His resumption came after a standoff at the party’s Wadata Secretariat in Abuja, News Point Nigeria reports.
“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 while addressing pressmen.
“They came here with armed thugs that we did predict would disrupt our meetings, but God so kind, we were able to contain them effectively.”
He said, “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”.
Earlier in the day, rival groups clashed at the PDP secretariat as the leadership crisis in the party reached new levels.
Security operatives were stationed at the secretariat with Samuel Anyanwu and others loyal to FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike insisting they won’t vacate the place.
Chaos broke out when Turaki; Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi and other members of the newly-elected PDP executives arrived at the premises.
The police fired teargas as Anyanwu’s supporters tried to block the group from entering the secretary.
Recounting what happened, Turaki said: “If we had not exercised restraint, if we had not controlled our members and our leaders, there would have been bloodshed here,” he said.
“We have been tear-gassed, and I think more than 50 canisters of tear gas had been shot at us. But we remained relentless and will continue to remain relentless.”
Despite this, the PDP chairman vowed that the party would continue to “defend democracy; we shall continue to act as the vanguards of democracy”.
Turaki said, “I have taken over my office, and PDP is back on course”.
Anyanwu said the governors had once proposed that the party’s amended constitution recognise the Governors’ Forum as an organ of the party.
The most recent events came days after the PDP held its convention in Ibadan, Oyo State between Saturday and Sunday. It came in the wake of conflicting judgements, one sanctioning the event and another asking the party to halt the process.
During the convention, the group expelled Anyanwu; Wike; ex-governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose and others for anti-party activities.
However, Anyanwu and his group has dismissed the suspension, describing it as a “jamboree” and illegality.