- Safiu Kehinde
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has released a closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage capturing the moment its suspended National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, broke into the party’s national secretariat in Abuja with suspected political thugs.
Anyanwu was reported to have stormed the Wadata plaza on Monday alongside other suspended leaders of the party and the thugs led by one Emmanuel Okoronkwo.
Recall that the PDP had on Saturday slammed one month suspension on the National Secretary as well as its National Organising Secretary, Hon. Umar Bature, over alleged anti-party activities.
Also suspended by the party were the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN); and Deputy National Legal Adviser, Barr. Okechukwu Osuoha.
However, in a counter-statement issued hours after, the Anyawu-led faction declared one-month suspension of the party’s National Chairman, Umar Damagum, National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, and four other leaders of the party.
In the wake of the suspensions which had been attributed to the disagreement over the planned National Convention of the party slated to hold this month, the Wadata Plaza was on Monday stormed by the Anyawu-led faction.
Reacting to the development in a post shared on his X handle on Thursday, the PDP released the CCTV footage of the attack.
As captured in the footage, the group approached the corridor in drive.
They stopped in front of an office which was shut by a man who had entered the office ahead of the group.
Okoronkwo who was cladded in a grey jacket with a face cap pulled low was seen kicking the door alongside others while a man the group leader claimed by the PDP to be Anyawu stood back with other officials.
They thereafter stormed the office after breaking the door.
The footage, independently verified by PDP loyalists and shared widely on social media under #WadataInvasion, further captured the group smashing locks and breaking doors at the Party’s National Secretariat.
Security sources, according to the party, confirmed the intrusion was aimed at disrupting preparations for the convention slated to hold in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, in an alleged desperate bid to sow chaos and derail the party’s unity drive.
Meanwhile, videos which emerged after the incident showed assaulted staff of the PDP secretariat recounting their ordeal.
One of the staff who was heard wailing with his clothes ripped recounted how he pleaded with Anyanwu who watched on as the thug assaulted him.
“I was begging Anyanwu to help me. Anyanwu did not help me. They slapped me; kicked me; and beat me. Anyanwu was there.” He said.
The staff further disclosed that their phones were seized by the group during the attack.