Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed defied a police directive Monday to vacate the embattled Wada Plaza, PDP’s contested national secretariat, as the party’s internal schism deepened with rival factions staking claims amid threats of forceful removal and legal showdowns.
The standoff unfolded hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ordered the Wike-aligned group to vacate the premises, a move the anti-Wike faction branded as biased federal interference. Police, enforcing the eviction, sealed the building but faced resistance from Makinde and Bala, who arrived with supporters to assert control, turning the site into a flashpoint of chants and barricades.
Makinde, flanked by loyalists, addressed the crowd from atop a vehicle, declaring: “We will not be intimidated or driven out by any force. This is the legitimate heart of the PDP, and we stand for the rule of law and party unity. The eviction order is null and void; it’s a ploy to hand over to impostors.”578a9e
Bala echoed the defiance, vowing: “As long as we breathe, Wada Plaza remains PDP’s soul. The Wike cabal thinks police batons will silence us, but they forget the people’s will is our shield. We fight for democracy, not division.”134546
The crisis escalated post the Ibadan convention’s expulsion of Wike, Fayose and others, which the minister’s camp rejected as illegitimate. Wike, speaking virtually from Port Harcourt, slammed the occupation as “trespass by desperate elements,” adding: “Makinde and Bala are squatting in a building they don’t own. INEC has spoken; the courts will seal it. This charade ends now.”a379e5
FCT Police Commissioner Benneth Igwe confirmed the seal, stating: “We acted on INEC’s directive to maintain peace. No one is above the law; evacuation is non-negotiable, but we prefer dialogue over force.”ea8d60
The face-off risks paralysing PDP operations ahead of 2027, with analysts warning of a full split unless mediation intervenes. As tensions simmer under floodlights, the plaza — PDP’s symbolic core since 1999 — stands as a battleground for the party’s fractured soul.
