Heavily armed protesters invade PDP headquarters •Lock out Mu’azu, wrap coffin with Wike’s posters

THERE was a total breakdown of law and order at the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, on Wednesday.

This was as the aggrieved aspirants under the platform of the party from Rivers State and suspected hoodlums invaded the secretariat and sealed it off
The protesters, under the umbrella of “Rivers State PDP House of Assembly and National Assembly aspirants,” reportedly arrived at the Wadata Plaza, located at Zone 5, Wuse District of Abuja, around 7.00 a.m.
They arrived with a well decorated coffin, with the poster of the immediate past minister of state for Education, Mr Nyesom Wike on it and placed the coffin at a vantage position, chanting war songs.
According to eyewitnesses, immediately they positioned the coffin, several hefty men armed to the teeth reportedly ordered all the staff, journalists, security personnel on duty and others to vacate the premises immediately in their own interest.
They later sealed off all the entry points into the PDP secretariat, while thugs wielding dangerous weapons surrounded the building.
Consequently, everybody, including the security personnel, complied with the directive, while a member of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), Dr (Mrs) Kema Chikwe, was almost lynched before security operatives quickly took her away for safety
Nigerian Tribune learnt that following the development, the national chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu and all other members of the NWC who were expected to hold a crucial meeting on the outcome of the state House of Assembly primaries, were advised to stay away.
It was gathered that the protesters were said to be challenging the national leadership of the party for giving Wike prominence over other governorship aspirants.
Speaking with newsmen, leader of the aggrieved protesters, Tubotamuno Dick, vowed that the protest would be sustained until their demands were met.
According to him, their conditions included the issuance of clearance certificates to all cadres of aspirants by the NWC.
They also asked that the purported delegates list compiled by Wike and the deputy national chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, be rejected.
They equally called for the immediate cancellation of the House of Assembly primaries, alleging it was held even as many aspirants were not cleared.
They also called for the removal of Secondus from office for his alleged roles in the Rivers crisis.
Speaking with newsmen over the development, national vice chairman of PDP in the South-South, Chief Cairo Ojougboh, said “I was called here because of my position in the party, I have spoken with them and they (protesters) gave me 24 hours to make further consultations and come to address them.
“This is not the period to disrupt the activities of the party. I will make further consultation and we will come here to address the gentlemen.”
He added that “I hate oppression and nobody under my watch will be allowed to be oppressed. So, the party will sit down and listen to their petition and I am sure lasting solution will be provided.”
According to him, “at the governorship level, some persons were disqualified,” adding that they went to the appeal panel, while only one of them without certificate was disqualified.
“What they are saying now is that those who were screened were not given certificates, either to qualify or disqualify them and now that the zone and party is aware of it, the party will look into it and where there is iota of truth in what they are saying, it will be properly investigated,” he said.
Combined security forces, on Wednesday evening, however, tactically stormed the secretariat and secured it from the aggrieved members.
The security personnel, made up of the operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS), police and officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), in their scores, on arrival at the scene, fired gunshots and tear gas to chase away the protesters.
They also seized the coffin and dismantled all the barriers and canopies earlier mounted by the protesters.
It was also gathered that some arrests, about 20, were made during the operation, while those arrested were whisked away to unknown destinations.
However, the entire secretariat was in total darkness last night when the Nigerian Tribune visited, while none of the security operatives approached was willing to volunteer information on the development.