**Calls for Federal Intervention
The People’s Mandate Group has strongly condemned the violent attack on the national headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at Wadata Plaza, accusing former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and his collaborators of orchestrating the assault with the complicity of police officers deployed to intimidate unarmed citizens.
The group described the incident as a coordinated operation aimed at destabilizing the PDP, disrupting the activities of its newly elected National Working Committee, and instilling fear ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Eyewitnesses reported that heavily armed police officers occupied Wadata Plaza from the early hours, blocking staff, journalists, and party supporters from entering the building. As crowds gathered for the inaugural meeting of the National Working Committee, police fired tear gas and live ammunition at peaceful citizens.
Tensions escalated around 10:00 AM when the convoys of Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo State), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi State), and PDP National Chairman Kabiru Tanimu Turaki SAN arrived, only to be confronted by thugs allegedly mobilized by expelled former National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who had barricaded the gates.
According to multiple eyewitnesses, Wike was physically present, supervising the operation from his vehicle, directing both thugs and police officers throughout the attack.
Speaking for the People’s Mandate Group, spokesperson Abdulfatai Diran described the attack as an “unprecedented assault on democracy”.
“This was not just violence; it was a political coup executed in broad daylight,” Diran said. “Wike personally supervised police and thugs as they brutalized innocent citizens. This shows he and his cohorts are willing to destroy anything in their path.”
Diran added that the manhandling of PDP staff, forced evacuations, and reckless firing at peaceful supporters were calculated attempts to seize control of party structures through fear and coercion. He accused the police of acting as enforcers for personal political ambitions rather than as protectors of the law.
“What happened today is not policing—it is state-sponsored thuggery. No democracy should tolerate such open sabotage,” Diran said.
The People’s Mandate Group called on the Federal Government to intervene immediately, demanding the withdrawal of compromised officers, a full-scale investigation, and accountability for everyone involved, regardless of political influence.
“Democracy cannot survive when those entrusted to defend it dismantle it. The Federal Government must act now before Nigeria slides into political lawlessness,” Diran warned.
The group reaffirmed its commitment to defending democratic institutions and pledged to mobilize Nigerians nationwide to resist any attempts to destabilize the PDP or suppress citizens’ democratic rights.