The leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) exploded in Abuja on Tuesday, 18th November, 2025 as rival factions clashed at the party’s national secretariat, Wadata Plaza, forcing security operatives to fire teargas to disperse surging crowds of supporters.
The secretariat and its surroundings in Zone 5, Abuja, were turned into a battleground as two opposing camps, one loyal to Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, and another aligned with the new leadership structure led by figures such as Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, attempted to take control of the complex for separate meetings.
From the early hours of the day, truckloads of police officers and other security agents took positions around the building, mounting barricades and blocking major entry points in anticipation of a showdown between the factions.
Despite the heavy security presence, rival supporters arrived in droves, chanting solidarity songs, waving banners and attempting to force their way into the secretariat. The situation soon degenerated as both sides insisted on access to the premises, prompting security agents to fire teargas to disperse the crowd.
Eyewitnesses said the teargas affected several top PDP chieftains, including Governors Seyi Makinde and Bala Mohammed as well as party leaders who were making their way into the complex when the police moved to break up the rowdy scene.
“The whole place was like a war zone. People were running, coughing and covering their faces. Even some big politicians were not spared,” one party member at the scene recounted.
As at midday, the faction believed to be backed by Wike appeared to have seized effective control of the secretariat, with reports indicating that some leaders of the opposing camp were denied access and could not hold their planned activities within the building.
Tuesday’s confrontation is the latest flashpoint in the deepening battle for the soul of the party, coming on the heels of controversial decisions announced by a Wike-aligned faction, including the purported expulsion of key figures such as Governors Seyi Makinde, Bala Mohammed and Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, as well as the dissolution of some state party structures.
Analysts say the struggle for physical control of Wadata Plaza is part of a broader legitimacy war within the PDP, with each camp seeking to project itself as the authentic leadership of the opposition party ahead of future electoral battles.
As at the time of filing this report, tension remained high around the secretariat, with security operatives still on guard and party members fearing that the crisis may deepen unless urgent reconciliation moves are initiated at the highest level.
