Kabiru Turaki, the recently elected factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, has called on US President Donald Trump and the world community to assist in Nigeria’s deteriorating political situation.
He warned that the country’s democracy was “under threat” as an intensifying internal dispute within the PDP descended into turmoil in Abuja.
Speaking to journalists outside the party’s national secretariat in Wadata Plaza on Tuesday, Turaki called the country’s political situation terrible and dangerous, requiring immediate international attention and involvement.
Turaki further accused the faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of organizing armed thugs to disrupt party operations and prevent his faction from entering the premises.
He said, “I want to call on President Trump. What is at stake is not just genocide against Christians; he should come and save democracy in Nigeria. Democracy is under threat. I am calling on all other developed nations, all advanced democracies, to come and save Nigeria.”
Turaki also declared that his faction’s leaders were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to defend the party’s mandate and Nigeria’s democracy.
“I have said it: we are willing to lay down our lives to protect our office, to protect democracy, and to protect our mandate,” he added.
His remarks came just minutes before rival factions clashed at the secretariat, where the Turaki-led National Working Committee and the Wike-backed group led by the factional National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, had scheduled concurrent National Executive Committee and Board of Trustees meetings for the same day.
Tear gas caused panic, with party members, personnel, and media coughing and fleeing in chaos.
Outside the secretariat, supporters from opposing camps continued to brawl, escalating the impasse around the embattled opposition party.
