A fresh wave of tension gripped the National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja on Monday following the sudden appearance of Mohammed Abdulrahman, who assumed control of the party and declared himself Acting National Chairman.
Abdulrahman arrived at the Secretariat alongside key officers, including National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and immediately announced that he had taken charge of the party’s leadership. He pledged to restore unity, discipline, and relevance to the main opposition party, which has been enmeshed in protracted internal crises.
Shortly after assuming office, Abdulrahman outlined a three-point agenda focused on reconciling divided factions, repositioning the PDP for effective opposition, and organising an all-inclusive National Convention to elect a new National Working Committee (NWC) after completing all pending congresses across the states and local government levels.
He explained that his action followed extensive consultations with influential party stakeholders who expressed concern over the PDP’s dwindling influence.
Abdulrahman lamented the party’s decline from being Nigeria’s ruling party for 16 years to struggling as an opposition force, weakened by internal wrangling and mass defections of key figures.
The new factional leader vowed to return the party to its founding ideals, promising what he described as a “new dawn” for the PDP. He called on members to unite behind the mission to rebuild the party and reclaim its lost glory, adding that plans were underway to convene a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to determine the party’s next course of action.
However, Abdulrahman’s emergence was not without resistance. Moments before his arrival, tension erupted at the Secretariat as some staff attempted to protest the leadership change.
Security operatives were forced to disperse the agitated workers with tear gas after they blocked the National Secretary’s office, insisting that Anyanwu — who had earlier been suspended by the Damagum-led NWC — should not be allowed access.
The confrontation occurred in the absence of the incumbent National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, who was reportedly away from the premises at the time.
Shortly after, Abdulrahman and his entourage entered the complex, took symbolic control of the Chairman’s office, and addressed journalists to mark what he described as a “restoration of order” within the PDP.
Following the takeover, security personnel sealed off the Secretariat amid reports that Damagum and his loyalists, who were expected to convene a separate meeting later in the day, were denied entry.
As of press time, neither Damagum nor members of his camp had been seen at the party headquarters, fuelling speculation about whether they had ceded control to the Abdulrahman-led faction.
Political analysts say the development signals an escalation in the PDP’s internal leadership crisis, which continues to weaken the party’s cohesion and electoral preparedness ahead of future national contests.
