IG of Police Shuts Down PDP Headquarters

for the second time in less than two weeks, the police wielded the big stick on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday on account of the protracted leadership crisis rocking the opposition party.

Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, ordered the office complex that houses the national secretariat of the party shut for a week to allow peace to reign.

He gave the party leaders the same period to try resolve the stalemate between the party's chairman Ali Modu Sheriff and the caretaker led by Ahmed Makarfi; both are laying claim to the party leadership.



The decision was taken at a meeting between Arase and PDP stakeholders after repeated acts of violence by supporters of the gladiators to seize control of the party secretariat, especially in the last one week.

Force Spokesperson, Mrs. Olabisi Kolawole, in a statement on the meeting said: “In a bid to find a lasting solution to the protracted crisis rocking the PDP, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase, convened a meeting with all stakeholders in his Abuja office on Friday and called for peace among the parties, particularly Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and Senator Ahmed Makarfi.

“After exhaustive deliberations in the meeting that was also attended by the Director-General of Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Musa Daura, each of the factions – Sen Ali Modu Sheriff’s and Sen. Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi’s-led factions agreed to nominate four representatives each for peace talks to arrive at a harmonised position within one week.

“The PDP Secretariat at Wadata House Plaza and Legacy House should be under lock and key pending the outcome of the resolution.”

Sheriff has insisted that the constitution of the party does not provide for a caretaker committee.