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An exclusive investigation by this newspaper has uncovered a coordinated plot by loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to forcibly seize control of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national secretariat in Abuja on or before December 8, in what insiders describe as the next phase of the minister’s sustained onslaught against the party’s new leadership.
Authoritative sources confirm that the plan was adopted during a strategic meeting reportedly convened at the direct instance of the FCT Minister, where it was agreed that the Wike-aligned faction would storm the PDP headquarters using security cover and a staged media operation to give the move an appearance of legitimacy.
Pre-Dawn Operation Designed for Shock Impact
According to internal intelligence gathered from participants, the strategy includes:
• Inviting a select group of journalists to Wike’s official residence in Abuja under the guise of a press engagement.
• Presenting certain individuals as “purported NEC members” to simulate legitimacy.
• Transporting the group in buses at exactly 6:00 a.m. to the Wadata Plaza national secretariat.
• Arriving with heavy police and security presence to secure the building and prevent resistance.
• Conducting a brief, pre-scripted “NEC meeting” to announce the installation of their own caretaker committee.
• Immediately after the announcement, securing assistance from security agencies to seal or cordon off the secretariat, thereby shutting out the Tanimu Turaki–led National Working Committee (NWC).
The plan, insiders say, is tailored to ensure that the legitimate NWC becomes aware only after the operation is concluded—leaving them with little room to respond in real time.
Historical Context: The Amb. Danmagum NWC and the Ibadan Convention
It will be recalled that the Amb. Umar Iliya Damagum–led NWC, which midwifed the Ibadan National Convention of November 15/16, 2025, was originally scheduled to end its tenure on December 8, 2025. That same NWC also included the now-expelled Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, who then served as National Secretary.
Weeks before the Ibadan national convention, the Damagum-led NWC took a decisive disciplinary action:
• Sen. Anyanwu was suspended for one month following a vote in which 14 out of 19 NWC members backed his suspension.
The Ibadan national convention subsequently dissolved the Damagum-led NWC entirely and produced a new national leadership headed by Barr. Tanimu Turaki, SAN.
Legal Position: Convention Decisions Are Supreme
Under Nigerian electoral law and the PDP Constitution, the National Convention stands as the highest decision-making organ of the party.
Its resolutions—whether on leadership, structure, or disciplinary matters—cannot be reversed or altered by any lesser organ, committee, or faction.
Only another properly convened national convention—with the constitutionally required 21-day notice to INEC—can reconsider or overturn decisions of the Ibadan Convention.
This fundamentally affects the current dynamics:
• The expulsion of Nyesom Wike, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, and nine others by the Ibadan Convention is binding.
• Their status cannot be reversed immediately, regardless of internal manoeuvres.
• Any attempt to set up a caretaker committee without a convention is legally untenable and exposes participants to contempt and further disciplinary measures.
Political observers believe this legal reality is precisely why the alleged plot aims to leverage force, media optics, and police presence, rather than due process.
Implications for PDP and 2027 Elections
Senior PDP figures warn that if executed, the operation would deepen internal fractures and potentially trigger a prolonged legal and political crisis at a critical pre-election moment. Some party strategists see it as a deliberate ploy to destabilize the PDP ahead of 2027.
As of press time, neither the FCT Minister nor the security agencies had issued a formal response to inquiries regarding the alleged operation.
However, multiple PDP insiders confirm that the Tanimu Turaki–led NWC is “fully aware of emerging threats” and is preparing appropriate countermeasures.
