Some members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have staged a peaceful protest at the United States Embassy in Abuja.
The protesters, who stormed the embassy yesterday, are seeking the support of the international community to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy and prevent the country from sliding toward a one-party system.
They are also submitting protest letters to the US Embassy, the European Union (EU) complex, and the Ministry of Justice.
Photos circulating online show demonstrators carrying placards with inscriptions reading: “Fix PDP, fix Nigeria, save our democracy”; “Stop party opposition intimidation”, and “Please save our democracy from intimidation”, among others.
According to the demonstrators, opposition members have come under increasing intimidation from the ruling party, threatening the nation’s multi-party political system.
The opposition party has been embroiled in crisis for over two years now, with leaders of the party recently engaging in counter suspension of each other. The escalation of the crisis over the weekend saw the national chairman, Umar Damagum, along with some members of the National Working Committee (NWC), announcing the suspension of the party’s National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, National Organising Secretary Umar Bature, and other principal officers.
In a swift counter, Samuel Anyanwu-led a separate faction of the NWC to suspend Damagun, National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, and four other principal officers of the party, deepening the ongoing leadership crisis within the PDP.
While Samuel Anyanwu-led acting national chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed resumed at the PDP national headquarters on Monday, Damagum and members of the National Working Committee loyal to him were conspicuously absent.
