Members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday staged a peaceful protest at the United States Embassy in Abuja.
The demonstrators said the protest was to draw global attention to what they described as growing threats to Nigeria’s democracy.
Carrying placards and chanting pro-democracy messages, the protesters called on the international community to intervene and stop the country from drifting into a “one-party system.”
They also submitted protest letters to the US Embassy, the European Union mission, and the Ministry of Justice. The group urged these bodies to help protect Nigeria’s democratic institutions and ensure that the rule of law is upheld.
According to the protesters, the ruling party has been intimidating opposition voices and weakening democratic structures.
They insisted that the alleged clampdown on opposition leaders must be checked before it destabilises the political system.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that security operatives were seen around the area to maintain order as the demonstration continued peacefully.
The protest comes amid deepening internal crises within the PDP. The party has been rocked by leadership tussles in recent months.
Over the weekend, national chairman Umar Damagum announced the suspension of National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, National Organising Secretary Umar Bature, and other top officials.
In a swift response, Anyanwu’s faction fired back by suspending Damagum, National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, and four other members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
The development further exposed the growing division in the opposition camp.
On Monday, the acting national chairman backed by the Anyanwu faction, Abdulrahman Mohammed, took over the PDP national secretariat, while Damagum and his loyalists were notably absent.
Recall that the PDP has been battling internal crisis for over two years, and that has continued to weaken its structure both at the national and state levels.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.