Security operatives on Monday took over the national secretariat of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, as party leaders issued counter notices for the party’s 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
The two factions of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) had arranged for separate meetings at the PDP secretariat on Monday (today) at the same NEC Hall.
The party’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum-led faction of the NWC planned to hold an expanded caucus meeting, stating that the 100th NEC meeting had been postponed.
However, the Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja’s faction insisted at a news conference on Sunday night that the meeting would hold on June 30 as scheduled.
While Damagum’s camp fixed its expanded caucus meeting for 2 p.m., Arapaja’s group scheduled its own NEC meeting for 1 p.m., both at the same venue.
However, security personnel from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) arrived at the party’s national headquarters with their trucks and barricaded the roads leading to the entrance of the secretariat.
The security personnel also chased away suspected thugs who had earlier arrived at the secretariat, while members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) who came to the secretariat were also denied access to the building.
One of the security agencies hinted that they were deployed to maintain peace by not allowing any of the meetings to hold at the party’s national secretariat.
Some of the BoT members denied entrance into the premises of the PDP secretariat included Maina Chiroma and Chief Bode George.
A former National Secretary of the party, Mr Umar Tsauri, who was also one of the party leaders denied access to the secretariat, said that the security operatives claimed that they were acting in accordance with ‘order from above’.
Also speaking on the development, George, a BoT member, in an interview with newsmen, described the development as ”madness” that must be avoided.
He said that they were told that they could not hold a meeting in their party secretariat, querying: “What then is the essence of democracy?
”You came to our office, surrounded by police because you want to have a meeting? You want to turn us to North Korea? Or turn this country to Russia? We will not allow it. Nigerians will not allow it.
”I have seen both sides. Let them be very careful. Allow everybody to walk according to the law of the land.
”We spoke to some of the policemen who said that actually, it is to maintain law and order because of the conflicting notices that emerged yesterday and also that they got an order from above,” he said.
The BoT member said that the meeting could be held elsewhere, adding: “this is the voice of Jacob but the hand of Esau.
“Whoever is the person that ordered from the above, have we heard it before? I have been on both sides. The military and the civil rule,” he said.
The PDP stalwart advised those behind the order to be guided, saying ”we have more problems, economic, financial, education, infrastructure; they should face that.”
He described PDP as the only political ‘Iroko tree’ in the country that cannot be destroyed.
The BoT meeting earlier scheduled for 10 a.m. at the party’s secretariat was later moved to the Yar’Adua Centre.
