Armed policemen on Monday morning took over the Wadata Plaza, the headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, amid tension over the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) Meeting expected to hold today.
The police disallowed members of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) including Maina Chiroma from entrance into the premises of the secretariat.
The police denied the BoT members from holding their meeting at the Wadata Plaza. The meeting was to precede the expanded caucus meeting.
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 policemen mounted guard at the gate of the NEC hall, preventing members of the PDP BoT from gaining access to the venue of their meeting.
The displeased BoT members later left the secretariat.
Another official of the party, who spoke to Channels Television’s reporter off camera, said that the police were deployed to stop the proposed NEC Expanded Caucus Meeting.
Though some staff members of the party were initially allowed to go into the premises of the secretariat without any resistance from the police, they were later sent out. Journalists were also been asked to leave the premises of the secretariat.
The official X handle of the PDP tweeted
PDP 100th NEC Meeting:
“Happening Now-
Federal Police, @PoliceNG other Security Agencies with the Order of All Progressives Congress (APC), @OfficialAPCNg harassing Board of Trustees members and staff of the Party’s National Secretariat in a bid to stop the scheduled meeting.”
Some policemen were seen cordoning off Dalaba Street, which is the road leading to Wadata Plaza.
