The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday moved the venue of its Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting from the Wadata Plaza, the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, to the Yar’Adua Centre in the Central Business District of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“The Meeting of the Board of Trustees (BoT) Meeting of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) earlier scheduled to hold by 10 am at the Party’s National Secretariat in Abuja has been moved to Yar’Adua Centre, Central Business District, Abuja,” the PDP stated on its official handle on X (formerly Twitter).

The party faulted the takeover of its secretariat by armed policemen from the FCT Police Command.

Our correspondent at the Yar’Adua Centre observed that the arrival of BoT members earlier been denied access to the Wadata Plaza.

The PDP described as harassment, the actions of the policemen who barred BoT members from accessing the secretariat for their meeting.

The police had disallowed members of the party’s BoT, including Maina Chiroma, from entrance into the premises of the secretariat.

A former National Secretary of the PDP, Umar Tsauri, told Channels Television that the police stopped the BoT members, saying they are acting based on an “order from above”.

The displeased BoT members later left the secretariat amid tension over the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, also scheduled for Monday.

Meanwhile, the FCT Police Command has said that policemen were drafted to the party’s secretariat to maintain law and order.

In a statement, FCT Police Spokesperson Josephine Adeh said, “Police officers were only deployed to the venue to maintain law and order and ensure public safety in line with their constitutional mandate. At no time was the Secretariat sealed off by the Police.”

A Cocktail Of Intrigues

The PDP has been embroiled in an internal crisis that has lingered for years. The crisis has resulted in frequent postponement of the party’s NEC meeting.

The NEC meeting was postponed recently, prompting the party’s leadership to meet with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagun, announced the postponement of the NEC meeting in Abuja last week but the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP insisted that the party’s 100th NEC meeting would proceed as scheduled on Monday, June 30, 2025.

Denouncing Damagum’s pronouncement, the NWC said that only the NEC had the power to make such a decision.

One of the major contending issues exacerbating the main opposition party’s crisis remained the National Secretary position which both Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye had laid claim to.

Also in his press briefing last week, Damagum declared that Anyanwu has been reinstated by the party as its National Secretary, a decision the NWC disputed.

The tussle for the party’s secretary position has been the subject of multiple court cases, with the Supreme Court delivering a judgment in March that both contending parties have interpreted in their favour.

Last week, Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja fixed September 22, 2025, for a hearing in another suit on the authentic National Secretary of the party.

‘Don’t Turn Nigeria to North Korea or Russia’, Bode George Warns After Police Stop PDP Meeting

A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has lamented the occupation of the party’s secretariat in Abuja by policemen, preventing its National Executive Council (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) meetings slated for Monday.

Speaking to reporters after police prevented members of the PDP National Working Committee, including himself, from accessing the secretariat to hold their meeting, George warned the Federal Government against plunging the country into crisis.

He said, “It’s strikingly annoying. This is our property. Was there any court order to say we will not hold our meeting in our office? What is going on? I was a young man in 1962 when it all started in the South West. we must avoid that madness. What is it? Can’t we sit and talk? What is the essence of democracy?

“Nigerians are watching, you came to our office, surrounded by police, because we want to have a meeting? You want to turn us into North Korea or turn this country into Russia? We will not allow it, Nigerians will not allow it.”

George insisted that the scheduled meeting would go ahead, but did not disclose where it would be held.

Channels Television had reported that armed policemen on Monday morning took over the Wadata Plaza, the headquarters of the PDP in Abuja, amid tension over the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) Meeting scheduled for today.

The police disallowed members of the party’s BoT from accessing the secretariat.