PDP crisis: FCT Police command denies sealing party secretariat

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has denied sealing the secretariat of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP), saying that officers were deployed to the venue solely to maintain law and order and ensure public safety in line with their constitutional mandate.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, in a statement sent to Persecondnews on Monday, said the information is false, misleading and does not reflect the true situation on the ground.

Adeh urged media outlets to verify information through the office of the command’s police public relations officer before dissemination.

The statement reads: “The FCT Police Command is aware of the news making rounds alleging that Police sealed off the PDP Secretariat in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja.

“The Command wishes to categorically state that this information is false, misleading, and does not reflect the true situation on ground.

“Police officers were only deployed to the venue to maintain law and order and ensure public safety in line with their constitutional mandate. At no time was the Secretariat sealed off by the Police.

“The Commissioner of Police, FCT, urges media outlets to verify information through the office of the Command police public relations officer before disseminating.”

Persecondnews recalls that heavily armed police personnel had taken control of the PDP national headquarters in Abuja, in what appeared to be a pre-emptive measure to prevent three critical meetings from taking place.

The scheduled meetings are the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, the Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting, and the Caucus meeting.

PDP governors, elders, and officers had begun arriving in the FCT on Saturday, only to discover a significant security presence surrounding the Wadata Plaza party office on Monday.

All access roads to the building were blocked, with police turning drivers away.

Officers were reportedly positioned strategically throughout the vicinity, preventing even party workers from entering the premises.

A Board of Trustees(BoT) member, who confirmed the situation, said he had reached out to the National Chairman and other officials, all of whom denied inviting the security personnel.

He alleged that FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s loyalists might be behind the blockade, aiming “to prevent the party from taking important decisions against those working against the interest of the PDP.”