The founding National Secretary of the Alliance for Democracy, Prof. Udenta O. Udenta, has accused the Nigeria Police Force of playing an active role in deepening the internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Udenta made the claim on Thursday during an interview on Arise Television, monitored by Daily Post, while reacting to Tuesday’s violent confrontation between two rival PDP factions at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja. The chaos saw security operatives fire gunshots and release tear gas to disperse party members, forcing many to flee in panic.
According to him, the police provided cover for one faction to forcibly occupy the complex despite earlier assurances that no such takeover would be allowed.
He alleged that the son of the party’s new chairman, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), had alerted police authorities about an attempt to seize the secretariat, but officers still allowed the faction loyal to Senator Samuel Anyanwu access as early as 5:00 a.m.
“The police are complicit because if they had shut the place down from the start, Nigeria would not have witnessed that spectacle,” Udenta said.
He further claimed that officers deployed excessive force during the confrontation, firing “over 200 canisters of tear gas” even in the presence of sitting governors, former governors and top party leaders. He referenced the death of a political figure in Kano years ago, allegedly linked to tear gas exposure, warning that such actions carry serious risks.
The clash occurred under the watch of a Deputy Commissioner of Police, he noted.
The PDP crisis continues to widen, with calls mounting for a neutral intervention to prevent further escalation.
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