Turaki Led PDP Prepares for Showdown at Secretariat

The newly elected leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), helmed by National Chairman Dr. Kabiru Turaki, has affirmed its intention to forge ahead with its inaugural National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Tuesday, November 18, at the party’s national secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja. This decisive move is set to spark an unprecedented confrontation, as it directly challenges the expelled faction backed by former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, which has simultaneously called for its own emergency meeting at the very same time and location.

Dr. Turaki made his declaration on Monday, signaling that his leadership is prepared to assert its authority both politically and legally. His announcement came shortly after he visited the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Garki, where he formally submitted a petition against the recently expelled National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, and other associates of the dissident camp. By involving law enforcement, Turaki has significantly raised the stakes, indicating that his executive committee is not only prepared to govern but also to militantly defend its constitutional legitimacy against internal rivals.

The new chairman was categorical in his assurance to the press, stating firmly that nothing would prevent him and the newly elected members of his executive from meeting tomorrow at the party’s official headquarters. This move is a direct rebuttal to the challenge mounted by the Wike-backed faction.

As political tensions reached a boiling point, the opposition faction, utilizing the signature of the expelled National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, had circulated a separate notice earlier on Monday. This notice called for an emergency joint meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the Board of Trustees (BoT) to convene on Tuesday, specifically naming the NEC Hall of the party’s national secretariat, Wadata Plaza, as the venue. The audacity of the expelled members to summon a meeting at the recognized party headquarters, concurrent with the meeting called by the constitutional leadership, underscores a deep and unyielding struggle for the control and soul of the PDP.

The stage is now set for a physical and political showdown at Wadata Plaza. Turaki’s action of filing a police petition suggests he is seeking police intervention to ensure his meeting proceeds without disruption and to assert the legal right of his faction to occupy and operate from the secretariat. Observers predict that the conflicting meetings will test the limits of party loyalty, constitutional authority, and security management in one of Nigeria’s most influential political parties. The outcome of Tuesday’s planned events will not only determine which faction exercises control over the party machinery but also shape the strategic future of Nigeria’s main opposition platform.