The Peoples Democratic Party has submitted a formal petition to Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, accusing its suspended secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; deputy legal adviser Okechukwu Osuoha; and the party’s national vice chairman (North-Central), Muhammad Abdulrahman, of mobilising thugs to invade its secretariat in Abuja on Monday.
In the copy of the petition signed by the party’s national chairman, Umar Damagum, and dated November 3, PDP stated that the invasion was aided by the Federal Capital Territory police commissioner and backed by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
“This is to formally report to the Inspector-General of Police the forceful takeover, threat to life, assault of staff, and disruption of peaceful conduct of party affairs by the suspended national secretary of the PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, with the assistance of the suspended deputy legal adviser, Barr. Okechukwu Osuoha, and the national vice chairman (North-Central) Muhammad Abdulrahman, with the backing of the Federal Capital Territory minister, Nyesom Wike,” the party stated in a copy of the petition shared on its official X page on Tuesday.
The opposition expressed shock over the invasion, accusing Mr Anyanwu of using thugs mobilised by his personal aides to disrupt the party activities while assaulting journalists and leaving staff wounded.
“The thugs forcefully broke into the office of the national chairman and attempted to install the said Muhammad Abdulrahman as the acting national chairman of our party.
“Currently, three of the staff are in the hospital receiving treatments for various degrees inflicted on them by the thugs. The staff in the hospital are Mr Terna Tergba, Mrs Cecilia Ukwayi, and Innocent Ezekiel,” the PDP stated.
The party further expressed concern over the conduct of the FCT police commissioner, Dantawaye Miller, alleging failure to disperse thugs during the attacks.
“The role of the FCT commissioner of police, FCT Command, regarding this attack should be called into question. On whose instruction did he, as an officer of the law, deploy security personnel to the national secretariat of a political party without notifying the national chairman of the party?
“Why on earth will the police teargas staff who are performing their legitimate duties in the office? What is the role of the minister of FCT in deploying the commissioner of police to assault and intimidate staff of the secretariat?” it queried.
The opposition informed the IGP to note that Nigeria is under the scope of the international community, adding that the unwarranted attack is a threat to democracy.
The opposition has been embroiled in a seemingly intractable crisis, which resulted in the court ruling halting its national convention scheduled for this month.
On Saturday, the party’s national working committee announced the one-month suspension of Mr Anyanwu and three other executive members, noting that they ceased to function immediately.