A protest erupted on Monday at the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party, Wadata Plaza in Abuja, as supporters of the factional acting National Chairman of the party, Mohammed Abdulrahman, stormed the premises.

The group, chanting solidarity songs, demanded that the National Working Committee, led by Umar Damagum, vacate the headquarters immediately.

PUNCH Online had reported that Abdulrahman was named the acting national chairman of the party last week as the leadership crisis threatening the soul of the party worsened with the suspension of the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, for a period of one month.

In a dramatic twist, the faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had converged at a separate venue in Abuja and announced the suspension of the Damagum-led NWC.

The protesters, who accused the Damagum-led leadership of mismanaging party affairs, vowed to reclaim control of the secretariat for the Abdulrahman-led faction.

Security operatives have been deployed to the area to prevent a breakdown of law and order as both factions struggle for control of the party’s edifice.

However, the faction of the party’s NWC led by Abdulrahman has taken control of the party’s National Chairman’s office.

Speaking to journalists at the office, Abdulrahman promised to unite and reposition the party in preparation for the next general election.

He also assured members of his commitment to work diligently for the party’s progress.

“We are ready to work in the interest of our dear party,” he said.

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Ahead of his formal reception into the All Progressives Congress today (Monday), the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has said his decision to quit the Peoples Democratic Party was taken in the overall interest of the state.

Speaking on Sunday during the 14th Bayelsa Thanksgiving Day at the Ecumenical Centre, Igbogene, Yenagoa, Diri said someone had to make the move and that he did so on behalf of Bayelsans.

It was the first time he publicly addressed the issue since his resignation from the PDP on October 15, 2025.

The governor explained that although some people might not immediately understand his decision to join the ruling party, time would reveal that it was driven by altruistic motives.

Diri expressed delight at the convergence of political leaders across party lines at the Thanksgiving service, describing it as a demonstration of unity and maturity.

He said the peace and stability being experienced in the state were reasons to be thankful, adding that politics should be used to foster development rather than division.

He said, “Somebody had to take the decision, and I took it on behalf of the state, in the best interest of Bayelsa. Some of you might not understand now, but later it will be clear to all.

“When we came in as a government, we ensured that most uncompleted projects were completed and new ones were initiated. That alone is enough reason to thank God.

“The peace and security we enjoy today are also reasons for gratitude. Politics should be for development, not to destroy your brother. The gathering here is a testimony to the unity in our state.”

Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, represented by his Senior Policy Adviser, Funkekeme Solomon, urged Bayelsans to remain united, stressing that the state’s progress and development depended on its people’s cohesion. He commended Bayelsa for sustaining the annual thanksgiving tradition, saying gratitude attracts divine blessings.

The Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, who attended the event for the first time, described Diri as a unifier. He said the governor’s defection to the APC was timely, noting that the state could no longer afford to remain in opposition when key developmental decisions were being taken at the centre.

Similarly, the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, lauded Diri’s developmental strides, describing him as a “godsend to Bayelsa,” and prayed for divine wisdom to guide him in steering the affairs of the state.

Delivering a sermon titled “Reasons Why We Should Thank God,” the General Overseer of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, Bishop Mike Okonkwo, said thanksgiving was essential because God never abandons His children.

He assured Bayelsans that as long as they made God their Alpha and Omega, their victory and blessings were assured.

In their goodwill messages, Senator Konbowei Benson (Bayelsa Central), Head of Service of the Federation, Dame Didi Walson-Jack, Chairman of the Bayelsa Elders Council and former Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John-Jonah (retd.), and President of the Ijaw National Congress, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, commended Diri’s leadership and urged the people to remain united.

Dignitaries at the event included the governor’s wives, Dr. Gloria Diri and Justice Patience Ama-Diri; Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo; wife of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hajia Fatima Tajudeen-Abbas; Senators Benson Agadaga (Bayelsa East) and Sunday Katung (Kaduna South).

Others were members of the House of Representatives from Bayelsa — Oforji Oboku (Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma) and Rodney Ambaiowei (Southern Ijaw); Speaker of the Bayelsa House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere; Chief Judge of the state, Justice Matilda Ayemieye; the Amanyanabo of Twon Brass and former governor of old Rivers State, King Alfred Diete-Spiff; Mrs. Margaret Alamieyeseigha, widow of Bayelsa’s first civilian governor; former deputy governor, Peremobowei Ebebi; and the 2019 APC governorship candidate, Chief David Lyon.

Also present were the Managing Director of the Niger Delta River Basin Development Authority, Chief Ebitimi Amgbare; renowned cleric, Apostle David Zilly-Aggrey; as well as traditional rulers, clergy, captains of industry, and senior government officials.

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The deepening crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party has further widened, as former governors Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Ayo Fayose (Ekiti) have thrown their weight behind the Nyesom Wike-led faction of the party’s National Working Committee.

This development comes as loyalists of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and other governors regroup to remobilise support and challenge the Wike camp ahead of the party’s national convention.

In separate statements on Sunday, Ortom and Fayose endorsed the PDP faction led by the National Vice Chairman (North Central), Abdulrahman Mohammed, while blaming the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, for the party’s worsening internal crisis.

Despite preparations for its National Elective Convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State, the PDP remains enmeshed in internal wrangling over control of structures, zonal leadership, and convention arrangements.

Wike’s supporters have accused the Damagum-led leadership of bias and incompetence, citing unresolved disputes in the South-South zone and alleged disregard for micro-zoning principles.

Tensions escalated on Friday when the Federal High Court in Abuja granted an interim injunction restraining the party from holding its convention pending compliance with its constitution and the Electoral Act.

Justice James Omotosho ordered the PDP to suspend all convention preparations until further notice, a ruling that has now deepened the division within the party.

On Saturday, the Damagum-led NWC announced the suspension of National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN); Deputy Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha; and National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, for alleged anti-party activities.

In a swift response, the rival faction led by Anyanwu counter-suspended Damagum, National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, Deputy National Chairman (South) Taofeek Arapaja, and others for alleged financial misconduct and incompetence.

Reacting to the crisis, ex-Benue governor, Ortom, blamed poor leadership and exclusionary politics for the PDP’s disarray.

Ortom, a member of the party’s Board of Trustees, said his warnings on the need for inclusiveness and reconciliation were ignored by the leadership.

“Democracy thrives when people of diverse views come together for the common good,” Ortom said. “Unfortunately, a few individuals have attempted to run the party without recourse to collective consultation.”

He described the emergence of Abdulrahman Mohammed as acting National Chairman as “a fresh opportunity to rebuild trust and heal internal wounds,” urging all organs of the party to embrace reconciliation.

Similarly, ex-Ekiti governor, Fayose, backed the suspension of Damagum by the Mohammed-led faction, describing the development as “a necessary step to rescue the party from total collapse.”

Speaking with journalists in Ado Ekiti on Sunday, Fayose said, “The PDP is in a hopeless situation. The Damagum-led NWC are undertakers — they have come to bury the party. But perhaps, Abdulrahman can be the doctor that revives it.”

He accused Damagum of incompetence and arrogance, likening his fate to that of former National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu.

“Damagum will go the way of Ayu,” Fayose said. “He manipulated the process to remain in office and caused widespread confusion. We will support Abdulrahman to reposition the PDP, correct the state chapters, and prepare for the convention.”

Meanwhile, sources close to Governor Makinde told The PUNCH that the Oyo bloc and allied governors are meeting to strategise on how to overturn the court injunction and reclaim control of the party’s direction.

A source said, “We are not folding our hands. We have the majority, and discussions are ongoing on how to appeal the judgment and keep preparations for the convention alive.”

Former presidential candidate, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, also condemned the court ruling halting the PDP convention, describing it as “a calculated move to weaken the opposition and weaponise the judiciary.”

He alleged that “both external pressures and internal sabotage are being deployed to stifle the PDP and entrench a one-party regime,” but assured that “true democrats will resist attempts to destroy multiparty democracy in Nigeria.”

In Osun State, Senator Adenigba Fadahunsi, who recently defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress, declared that the PDP was “as good as dead.”

Speaking at his Ilase-Ijesa country home, Fadahunsi said, “We didn’t abandon the PDP; the PDP abandoned itself. The party is dead, and those still there should not sink with the ship.”

He, however, lauded President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, expressing optimism that they would yield positive results in due course.