ABUJA, Nigeria — Tensions escalated in Nigeria’s capital on Monday, June 30, 2025, as heavily armed police officers took over Wadata Plaza, the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), effectively shutting out members of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) and halting all scheduled meetings, including the highly anticipated National Executive Committee (NEC) gathering.
The development comes amid growing internal turmoil within the main opposition party, which has been embroiled in a deepening leadership crisis and disputes over key national positions.
BoT members, including prominent figures such as Maina Chiroma, were barred from entering the party headquarters early on Monday, June 30, 2025.
Armed officers stationed at all entrances and around the NEC meeting hall denied access to party elders who had planned to hold a preparatory BoT session before the expanded NEC caucus meeting.
Former PDP National Secretary Umar Tsauri told Channels Television that the officers cited an “order from above” as the basis for their actions.
“The police stopped us. They said they were acting on an order from above,” Tsauri said.
“They didn’t allow us to hold our BoT meeting, even when we had no intentions of disrupting anything.”
By mid-morning, police officers had also ordered party staff out of the premises and forced journalists covering the events to vacate the area.
Dalaba Street, the road leading to Wadata Plaza in Abuja’s Wuse Zone 5 district, was cordoned off, further sealing the party secretariat from public access.
One PDP official, who spoke anonymously to Channels Television, said the police deployment was “clearly aimed at stopping” the expanded NEC caucus meeting that had been scheduled to address critical party issues.
As of press time, neither the Nigeria Police Force nor the Federal Ministry of Justice had issued an official explanation for the siege or confirmed who authorised the operation. The PDP has also yet to release a formal statement regarding the development.
However, the abrupt disruption has sparked outrage among party loyalists and added fuel to speculations of external interference in the party’s internal affairs, particularly over the disputed position of National Secretary and calls by some members to review the PDP’s leadership structure ahead of 2027 elections.
The PDP has in recent months witnessed deepening fissures, especially within its South-East zone, where leaders have demanded recognition of their nominee for National Secretary, threatening to reconsider their continued participation in the party if sidelined.
The NEC meeting was expected to address these tensions and other long-standing grievances, but Monday’s police occupation now casts doubt on the party’s ability to resolve its internal divisions through established procedures.
