Abuja, Nigeria — The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) erupted into unprecedented turmoil on Tuesday as police officers, together with alleged political thugs, stormed the party’s national secretariat in Wadata Plaza, Abuja an event that leaders of the opposition have described as “a direct assault on democracy.”
The confrontation unfolded just as PDP’s newly elected national chairman, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, arrived for a scheduled leadership meeting accompanied by several prominent party governors, including Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State. The delegation was met by an unusually heavy police presence, which quickly escalated into open confrontation.
Eyewitnesses reported that police fired multiple rounds of tear gas at party members, staff, and journalists who had gathered for the meeting. Videos from the scene showed crowds scrambling for safety, choking and coughing as the area was engulfed in thick smoke. Cars were seen reversing at high speed, and reporters could be heard shouting for help as officers pushed back the crowd.
The chaos, according to Turaki, was “carefully orchestrated” to prevent him and other party officials from assuming leadership roles. He directly accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of colluding with police commanders to disrupt party activities, a claim that has intensified internal political tensions within the PDP.
“The sponsored thugs and the armed police officers acted together,” Turaki stated angrily following the incident. “This is a dangerous attack on our democracy. President Donald Trump should intervene and help save democracy in Nigeria. What is happening here is a systematic attempt to silence the will of the people.”
The call for Trump’s intervention shocked many political observers, as it marks one of the rare instances in Nigeria's political history where a party openly appeals to a foreign political figure, especially a former U.S. president to intervene in domestic political affairs.
Meanwhile, the affected governors also condemned the police action. Governor Makinde described the incident as “state-enabled political terrorism,” claiming that no democratic nation should allow its police force to be used as an instrument of partisan intimidation. Governor Bala Mohammed also criticized what he called an “ongoing attempt to fracture the PDP using state machinery.”
The Nigeria Police Force has not issued an official explanation for the excessive deployment of officers or the motivation behind firing tear gas at peaceful party leaders. Statements from Wike’s office have also been noticeably absent, deepening suspicions and fueling partisan debate.
The incident has left the PDP divided into rival factions, each accusing the other of colluding with influential political players to control the party’s national structure. Analysts say Tuesday’s violence represents the most dramatic manifestation yet of an internal power struggle that has been brewing for months.
Political commentators warn that the use of security forces to settle internal party disputes threatens to weaken Nigeria’s already fragile democratic institutions. Civil society groups have since called for an independent probe into the events at Wadata Plaza.
The PDP has postponed all national meetings until further notice, while members continue to demand accountability and the immediate withdrawal of police forces from the party headquarters.
As pressure mounts, Nigerians at home and abroad watch closely, with many calling for transparency, justice, and non-interference by state actors in party affairs.
