Turaki Calls On President Trump And International Community As PDP Crisis Turns Violent In Abuja
Turaki asked President Trump to help as tensions rose inside the PDP on Tuesday afternoon.
Clashes erupted at the party secretariat after rival factions attempted holding separate meetings there.
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Kabiru Turaki, on Tuesday appealed to the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and the wider international community to intervene in Nigeria’s political situation. He warned that the country’s democracy was under serious threat as the internal conflict within the PDP intensified in Abuja.
Speaking to journalists shortly before the faction he leads tried to hold a National Executive Committee meeting, Turaki accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of using armed thugs with the support of some police officers to disrupt activities of the party.
Turaki said the situation had gone beyond what the party could control on its own and now required attention from global democracies.
According to him, the appeal to President Trump and other world leaders was necessary because the crisis had reached a dangerous point. He said what was happening in the PDP was directly linked to the safety of Nigeria’s democratic system. He stated that the situation was not only political but also a threat to citizens who look up to democratic structures for protection.
Turaki said he and other party leaders were prepared to defend the country’s democratic values. He explained that they were ready to make any sacrifice required to safeguard their offices, the party and the Nigerian people who entrusted them with leadership.
His remarks came only minutes before a violent confrontation broke out at the PDP national secretariat in Wadata Plaza. The two rival factions, one loyal to Wike and the other led by Turaki, had planned separate meetings in the same building on the same day.
Trouble began when Samuel Anyanwu, the national secretary aligned with Wike, arrived with his supporters for a different Board of Trustees and NEC meeting. Supporters from both sides exchanged harsh words which quickly turned into physical scuffles as each group attempted to take control of the compound.
Police officers present at the scene struggled to calm the situation. They later ordered everyone, including senior party members, to leave the area. Moments later, tensions rose again, forcing officers to release teargas to scatter the crowd.
The teargas caused panic among party members, staff and reporters who ran into nearby streets while covering their faces and coughing. Outside the building, supporters from both groups continued to clash and hold sticks and other objects, creating more unrest around the secretariat.
