Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state and Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governors Forum, has forced his way into the Wadata House National Secretariat of the party in Abuja, the nation’s Capital despite the effort of security agencies to stop him.
The development, which experts say will further escalate the deep-seated cracks in the opposition party, comes on the heels of the struggle for the soul of the party by two factions, backed by FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state laying claims to the party.
The latter held a National Convention last weekend in Ibadan, Oyo state capital where it elected Taminu Turaki, a former minister as new Chairman.
Governor Mohammed was part of the faction which held the Convention that the Wike factions has kicked against.
Turaki had during his visit to the FCT Commissioner of Police vowed to do everything to rescue the party, saying he’s ready to lay down his life for this purpose.
He also vowed to hold meeting at the Secretariat, daring the Wike’s faction to stop him, after the latter said they were planning to hold their Board of a Trustees, BOT meeting at the Secretariat today.
According to a viral video cited by the magazine on Tuesday, Mohammed had led his supporters to the gate of the Secretariat where some policemen tried stop him from gaining entry.
As the altercation between the governor and the policemen went on, the governors supporters warned that they will force the gate opened if the policemen failed to allow the governor in.
Few minutes after, the supporters forced the gate open for the governor to gain entry while the policemen were chased away.
The magazine reports that Samuel Anyanwu, the Wike faction National Secretary , who was expelled last week during the convention in Ibadan, had earlier today seen at Secretariat in preparation for his group’s BOT meeting.
He was later chased away by the angry supporters of the rival faction, sources close to the party Saturday.
We Are Ready To Die- PDP Chairman Turaki
“We came to have an interface with the Commissioner of Police of the FCT regarding the meeting we’ve planned to have tomorrow. We are going to have the inaugural National Working Committee meeting of our party, the People’s Democratic Party tomorrow.
“At this meeting, we have invited all our stakeholders and founding fathers. We’ve invited all our governors and members of the National Assembly. We’ve invited members of the Board of Trustees, our State Chairman, and other critical stakeholders
“As law-abiding people, we’ve come here to tell the police that we are having our meeting tomorrow. This will be the inaugural meeting since we left Ibadan after our election at our National Elective Convention.
“Now, we have seen things flying in the social media, a purported notice of BOT and NEC meeting given by people who, for all intents and purposes, are no longer members of this party, as I’m talking to you today.
“Next to God, in management of political party is the National Convention. The decision taken in a National Convention over rides every other decision that has been taken by any organ of a party. Our National Convention has taken a decision to expel these elements from the party.
“So, they are no longer members of our party. We have reported the moves they are making to the police, because we don’t want any situation where there will be breach of peace. As leaders, more than any other person, we want peace to be sustained. This democracy that our leaders, our forefathers, have sacrificed their lives to bring about to this level, we shall be ready to also give our own life to sustain this democracy.
“We are holding the meeting at our National Secretariat, which is the Wadata House and anybody that is sitting there without our consent and permission is an interloper.
“We have not sought for the assistance of the police or any other security agencies to lock up our offices. Now, we are going there, we’ll have the offices opened, we’ll get in there, and then begin to perform the functions for which we’ve been elected.
“I have assured the Commissioner of Police of the FCT that while we will ensure that no breach of the peace of course, we will go there prepared to defend ourselves and our integrity as Nigerian because Nigerian Constitution has given us the right to defend our persons, our lives, our properties. So, that is wat we are prepared to do.
“Let me reiterate again for avoidance of doubt, to defend our party, to defend this nascent democracy, we are prepared to lay down our lives. We will go there to move into our headquarters, to conduct our official functions, and if anybody tries to prevent us, then we pray for them.
“Our meeting is 10 am tomorrow. Circulars have gone out. We shall be there unfailingly. I, as the national chairman of PDP, will be leading from the front, not from the rear. We shall be there tomorrow.
“The CP had given us assurance that they will do everything it takes to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order and that is our expectation from him. So, we’ll be there hoping that the police will make sure that they give us all the ample protection that we’re entitled to under the law and that assurance we’ve got it so we shall be there.”
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