A staff member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Thomas Ibu, was reportedly detained by armed police officers on Monday at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
The arrest occurred amid escalating tensions over the scheduled 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
Witnesses say that a large police presence, including barricades and more than 70 armed officers, surrounded the Wadata Plaza by around 8:30 am, restricting access to the secretariat and dispersing youths congregating nearby.
Entry was heavily regulated, with some arriving staff permitted inside and others turned away.
During this security lockdown, officers allegedly manhandled and detained Ibu, a PDP Publicity Department staffer.
Attempts by colleagues to intervene reportedly failed, and the reason for his arrest remained unclear as of filing.
The incident unfolded against a backdrop of NEC meeting confusion.
On Sunday night, two senior PDP officials issued conflicting directives. Deputy National Chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, insisted:
“The National Working Committee (NWC) assures all party members that the 100th NEC meeting will proceed as scheduled tomorrow, Monday, June 30, 2025, at the NEC Hall of the Wadata Plaza.”
This contradicted a notice from the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who announced a “Special Expanded National Caucus Meeting” to take place at 2:00 pm Monday, comprising former governors, ex-NWC members, state chairmen, and PDP legislators.
Amid the confusion, several NEC and Board of Trustees members, including Hajia Maina Ciroma, were reportedly denied access to the secretariat.
No official comment has been released by the police or party authorities regarding Ibu’s arrest.
However, the incident adds another layer of uncertainty to what was already a tense and disputed NEC session at the heart of Nigeria’s main opposition party.
