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​The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has formally petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of several high-profile individuals—including a sitting FCT Minister and a suspended Senator—following a violent, armed invasion of the party’s National Secretariat on Monday, November 3, 2025.

​The petition, signed by the National Chairman, H.E. Amb. Umár Iliya Damagum, describes the event as a “forceful takeover, threat to life, assault of Staff and disruption of peaceful conduct of party affairs,” and labels the incident a “clear threat to democracy in Nigeria.”

​A Violent Invasion and Attempted Coup

​The PDP alleges that the invasion was spearheaded by the suspended National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the suspended Deputy National Legal Adviser, Barr. Okechukwu Osuoha, who were attempting to forcefully install Mr. Abdulrahman Mohammed as the acting National Chairman.

​The letter recounts the shocking scene: “To our utmost surprise and shock, on Monday, November 3rd, 2025, the suspended Sen. Samuel Anyanwu violently invaded the National Secretariat of our Party, with thugs mobilized by his Personal Aides Arthur Bruno, Emmanuel Okoronkwo and one Chidiebere Egwu brandishing dangerous weapons including guns, knives, cutlasses and sticks.”

​The resulting chaos led to severe injuries and property damage. The PDP documented that the invaders “broke into offices, unleashed violence, attacked, fired tear gas, wounded our staff, assaulted journalists and disrupted activities in our National Secretariat.” A particularly grave incident was noted, involving a female staff member: “A female staff who could not withstand the teargas suffocated and was later resuscitated.”

​Staff Hospitalized, Police Role Questioned

​The petition confirms that several staff members required urgent medical attention and remain hospitalized as a result of the attack.

​“The staff in the hospital receiving treatments for various degrees of injuries inflicted on them by the thugs. The staff in the hospital are: Mr. Terna Tergba, Mrs. Cecilia Ukwayi and Innocent Ezekiei,” the document stated.

​Furthermore, the PDP directly implicated the police and the FCT Minister, Barr Nyesom Wike, in providing backing to the attackers. The party revealed that “The armed thugs led by Emmanuel Okoronkwo in company of armed police officers went around the offices of members of the National Working Committee (NWC) where they also assaulted those present in the building.”

​The petition alleges the thugs acted with impunity, openly threatening staff: “The thugs also openly threatened to kill some members of our NWC and staff while boasting that they have the backing of the FCT Minister and that the Police and Security Agencies cannot do anything to them.”

​Call for Immediate Arrests and Accountability

​The PDP’s leadership challenged the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the role of the FCT Police Command, specifically questioning the deployment of security personnel without the National Chairman’s knowledge.

​“The role of the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, regarding this attack should be called to question. On whose instruction did he act 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?” the petition queries.

​Concluding its demands, the PDP called for decisive action against the ringleaders, holding them directly responsible for the breakdown of law and order.

​“The Police should hold the FCT Minister, FCT Police Commissioner, Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Abdulrahman Mohammed directly responsible and culpable for this breach of peace in the FCT, threat to life, assault on innocent citizens, and disruption of lawful activities of a political party,” the document firmly states.

​The party also stressed that the situation is being observed internationally, warning that the “unwarranted assault on the opposition party along with its staff which is a clear threat to democracy in Nigeria further aggravate a very tensed situation.”

​The petition noted that the individuals involved—Anyanwu, Osuoha, and others—were previously suspended by the National Working Committee at its 608th meeting for anti-party activities and referred to the National Disciplinary Committee.

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