All access roads to the “A-Class” event centre for Abuja, where members of the Peoples Democratic Party wey loyal to Tanimu Turaki want hold special convention to ratify former President Goodluck Jonathan as their presidential candidate, don dey barricade by police.
Police use plenty of their vans to completely block the two access roads wey dey lead off from Wuse and Maitama axis, into the premises of the event centre. The blockage deprive access to both PDP members loyal to Turaki and other road users wey no get anything to do with the planned convention.
On Tuesday, reports surface say the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, don issue warning to hotels and event centres make dem no allow illegal political parties or organisations to use their resources for sake of security for FCT. In response, the PDP issue statement accuse Wike of attempting to halt their planned event.
According to the statement, the party say the management of A Class Event Centre inform am say pressure dey mounted on the venue to stop the gathering from taking place. The PDP say dem don already pay for the venue and fulfill all conditions required for the programme. The party also say security agencies don notify of the convention scheduled for Saturday, May 30, 2026, for Wuse 2, Abuja.
According to the statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the PDP don instruct their lawyers to remind the event centre of the subsisting agreement signed with the party. The party insist say the convention go proceed despite wetin dem describe as intimidation.
“We are certain that Nigeria is a country governed by law, and any attempt to use force to suppress political dissent and opposition is an aberration which must be resisted by all people of good conscience,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, the Nyesom Wike-backed leadership of the PDP led by Abdulrahman Mohammed don distance themselves from reports of a planned convention to affirm former President Goodluck Jonathan as their presidential candidate. In a statement issued on Friday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, the PDP say no such convention, meeting or process don schedule, approve or endorse by their leadership or any recognised organ of the party.
The party urge members, supporters and the general public to disregard the reports, insisting say the information wey dey circulate for some quarters na false and misleading. “The Party wishes to categorically state that no such convention, meeting, or process has been scheduled, approved, or endorsed by the leadership or any recognised organ of the Peoples Democratic Party,” the statement read.
The opposition party maintain say all their primary elections, including governorship, state assembly, National Assembly and presidential primaries, don already conclude in line with the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Electoral Act and the party’s constitution. According to the PDP, the exercises dey peacefully conduct across the country under the supervision of INEC.
The party also call on former President Jonathan to publicly dissociate himself from wetin dem describe as “charade” in order to safeguard the integrity of the democratic process and preserve the credibility wey he earn while serving the nation. “In view of this development, we respectfully call on former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to publicly dissociate himself from this charade in order to protect the integrity of the democratic process and preserve the credibility he earned while serving the nation,” the statement add.
The PDP further urge security agencies to investigate the source of the alleged false reports and prosecute those responsible, accusing dem of attempting to create political tension for the country. E warn say dem no go tolerate acts wey fit drag the party into disrepute through misinformation and unauthorised political activities wey aim to undermine their democratic structures. “The PDP will henceforth not fold its arms and allow the Party to be dragged into disrepute through falsehood, misinformation, and unauthorised political activities aimed at undermining its integrity and democratic structures,” Mohammed state.
Reaffirming their commitment to due process, internal democracy and the rule of law, the party advise members of the public to rely only on official communications wey duly authorised officials of the PDP issue.
