The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday, slammed the factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Tanimu Turaki, over his call on United States President Donald Trump to intervene in Nigeria’s political affairs.
This was as the police on Wednesday sealed the national secretariat of the PDP in Abuja over the party’s violent leadership tussle.
While receiving board members of the South-South Development Commission, led by its chairman, Chibudom Nwuche, at his office on Wednesday, Wike said Turaki’s statements posed a threat to national security and accused his PDP faction of ignoring court rulings, which he described as an act of impunity.
Turaki had on Tuesday called on Trump and other advanced democracies to “save Nigeria’s democracy”, following a confrontation between rival PDP factions at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Turaki said democracy was under threat in Nigeria, in addition to alleged Christian genocide.
But speaking on Wednesday, Wike said Turaki ought to have been invited for questioning by security agencies.
He said, “Look at a threat to national security. You are calling Trump to come and save your democracy when you cannot obey a simple court judgment. Simple court judgment: don’t do this until you have done this. Now you are turning it around against a government. What is their business? You cannot keep your house in order; you are blaming an outsider for not keeping your house in order. Who does that?”
He further questioned Turaki’s claim of genocide and noted that security agencies had not investigated the matter.
“You come out and make a statement on national television to say, look, it is not only killing—genocide against Christians. And where are the security agencies? For somebody to make such a statement, you won’t invite them to come and give facts. But if it is Wike—kill him!” he added.
Meanwhile, police on Wednesday sealed the PDP national secretariat at Wadata Plaza, Abuja.
Officers mounted a barbed-wire barricade across the main entrance, saying the order came “from above” but declining to provide further details.
Efforts to reach the FCT Police Command spokesperson were unsuccessful.
The sealing of the secretariat followed a day of heightened tensions at the venue amid a leadership tussle between rival PDP factions.
Confusion erupted on Tuesday after two conflicting notices were issued for a National Executive Committee meeting—one by expelled National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the other by Turaki.
Each faction claimed legitimacy, resulting in a standoff.
Following the confrontation, Turaki, accompanied by governors Seyi Makinde and Bala Mohammed, accused Wike of instigating the unrest and called for international attention to what he described as a threat to Nigeria’s democratic process.
