Security operatives in Abuja on Wednesday dispersed suspected political thugs attempting to cause a crisis at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national headquarters as the party National Working Committee (NEC) met.

A PDP national secretariat staff member who pleaded anonymity said that the suspected thugs were led by Emmanuel Okoronkwo, an aide to Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who was ousted by the court as PDP national secretary.

He said the thugs came with the mission to block the NWC members from accessing the party headquarters for their meeting.

He added that it took the intervention of some personnel of the Nigeria Police, Department of State Service, and Nigeria Civil Defense Corps to dispel the thugs who were harassing the party staff members.

The PDP has been engulfed in crisis, with Anyanwu and former National Youth Leader Sunday Ude-Okoye both claiming the position of PDP National Secretary.

While the Court of Appeal in Enugu upheld Ude-Okoye as PDP National Secretary, the Supreme Court had reserved its judgment.

According to the PDP members, “the party staff, with the support of security personnel, confronted the thugs and dispersed them.

“The leader of the thug Okoronkwo was arrested, and the other thugs were cleared from the PDP premises,” the source said.

Emmanuel was earlier featured in a video clip circulating online threatening that whoever did not have his party ID card or had no business being at the party secretariat should not come around the Wadata House.

“If they are tired of the party, they can go to SDP, but anybody coming here to cause problems where a case in the court should prepare from his house before coming.

“Already I am ready, I am here with the men, everybody is here. If they are one billion let them come.

“If you are coming here without party ID card, you will not enter. If you don’t have business here, nobody will enter.

Meanwhile, the PDP acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, chaired the party NWC meeting, which Ude-Okoye attended as the National Secretary.

Security personnel, including Police, DSS, and Civil Defense and their vans, were seen stationed inside and around the Wadata Plaza.