Turaki faction spokesperson: Standoff at PDP HQ shameful — people could’ve been killed

Ini Ememobong, factional national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says the chaos at the party’s headquarters in Wadata Plaza on Tuesday was “shameful” and “a pity”.

The PDP secretariat was the theatre of chaos as rival factions battled for control of the complex.

Ememobong, who was elected at the party’s national convention in Ibadan, spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday.

He said the events showed how Nigeria’s democratic culture has deteriorated.

“It’s very shameful and a pity that this is happening after six election cycles,” he said.

“Democratic consolidation should be firm and democratic norms should be valued. Sadly, every election cycle seems to be getting worse.”

He questioned the intent behind the parallel meeting held by the Nyesom Wike faction.

“Is that a NEC meeting? Every NEC meeting must be monitored by INEC,” he said.

He accused a minority within the party of attempting to overrun established structures.

“In a democracy, the majority will have their way and the minority will have their say, but what you have now is a minority trying to impose its will on the majority,” he said.

‘PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED’

He also warned that the clash placed many party faithful at risk.

“Today, people could have been killed,” he said.

“The canisters were shot directly at people; many elderly people have comorbidities, some have asthma, some are hypertensive.

“When it gets to the point where it looks as though all the ruling party wants is blood to water democracy, what the chairman is saying is that if it means our blood watering it, then so be it.

“It looks like until blood falls, the president does not understand.

“This happened less than 400 metres from where the president is; an opposition party is being stifled.”

The spokesperson said political actors must address the crisis within legal frameworks to avoid what he described as “electoral authoritarianism”.

Ememobong also reacted to the series of court rulings linked to the party’s internal dispute.

“No court has jurisdiction over internal affairs of the party,” he said.

“But if a court assumes jurisdiction, we respect the court.

“Two federal high courts assumed jurisdiction and gave judgments.

“It is now the duty of the court of appeal to sit on appeal over those judgments.

“The supreme court will then give final clarity, and all of this will enrich our jurisprudence.”

BACKGROUND

Violence erupted at Wadata Plaza on Tuesday as security agents fired teargas to break up supporters of rival factions.

Supporters of Samuel Anyanwu, national secretary of the Wike bloc, blocked the arrival of governors Seyi Makinde and Bala Mohammed, who arrived with the Turaki-aligned group.

Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), stayed inside his vehicle for more than 30 minutes during the standoff.

Anyanwu insisted he remained national secretary and said he invited security operatives to deal with “intruders”.

After hours of confrontation, Kabiru Turaki announced that he had assumed control of the complex as national chairman.

A pro-Wike NEC later expelled Makinde, Mohammed, Dauda Lawal, Bode George, Adolphus Wabara and Turaki, and dissolved six state working committees.

The move followed the Ibadan convention where 11 members — including Wike, Ayo Fayose and Anyanwu — were expelled.

Anyanwu later accused PDP governors of worsening the crisis but maintained that the party was not dead.