"Democracy Is Dying In NigeriaÔÇØ - PDP Leader Begs Trump For Rescue Amid Teargas, Chaos In Wadata Plaza

Nigeria's political arena erupted in fresh controversy on Tuesday after the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Kabiru Turaki (SAN), issued an unprecedented global appeal, calling on former U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene in what he described as a worsening threat to Nigeria's democracy.

Speaking in Abuja shortly before his faction attempted to convene a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, Turaki accused the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, of deploying armed thugs with police support to disrupt the party's activities and intimidate leaders.

In a dramatic address to journalists, the embattled PDP chairman declared:

"I want to call on President Trump... democracy is under threat in Nigeria. Come and save us.ÔÇØ

The statement, which instantly triggered nationwide shockwaves, marked the first time a major Nigerian political party leader directly called for intervention from the former U.S. president.

Turaki insisted that the PDP crisis had reached a breaking point, alleging that the Wike-backed faction was deliberately plunging the opposition party into turmoil.

"We are willing to lay down our lives to protect our office, to protect democracy and to protect our mandate,ÔÇØ he said.

His remarks came minutes before chaos engulfed Wadata Plaza, the PDP's national headquarters, where both factions - the Wike camp and the Turaki-led National Working Committee - scheduled parallel meetings on the same day.

The situation intensified when the National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, arrived with supporters to hold a separate NEC and BoT meeting. Heated arguments quickly turned violent as both blocs engaged in physical confrontations while struggling for control of the secretariat.

Police officers stationed at the venue battled to separate the groups, eventually ordering everyone to vacate the compound. But tensions escalated further, forcing security operatives to fire teargas canisters to disperse the surging crowd.

The sudden assault sent party members, staff and journalists running in chaos. Many fled coughing, shielding their faces, and stumbling into nearby streets as the crisis spiralled into open confrontation.

Outside the premises, the situation remained volatile as rival supporters brandished sticks, hurled insults and engaged in sporadic clashes - deepening fears that the crisis could destabilize the country's leading opposition party ahead of the 2027 elections.

Turaki's appeal to Trump has now opened a fresh chapter in Nigeria's political discourse, attracting criticism, debate, and global attention as PDP's internal war shows no signs of slowing down.