• Wike plotting to factionalise PDP for APC deal, party insiders allege
• Damagum: PDP unbroken, marching to reclaim power in 2027
• Wike should not be dignified with responses, says Bode George
• Ajisafe appeals for unity, urges members to prioritise rescuing Nigeria
• Fintiri to chair PDP Convention Organising Committee

Signs of a looming showdown in the embattled Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) surfaced yesterday as the governors’ caucus dismissed threats by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to abort the November 15–16 national convention scheduled for Ibadan, Oyo State.

Wike, alongside other former governors, had given six conditions that must be met for the convention to enjoy the collective support of all stakeholders. These included holding fresh congresses in Anambra and Ebonyi States, as well as in the South-East geopolitical zone, and recognising the outcome of the South-South Zonal Congress.

However, while the National Working Committee inaugurated a 110-member National Convention Committee at the Wadata Plaza, the party’s national secretariat, the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Bala Mohammed, said the party could no longer condone the “rascality and impunity” of those seeking to bury it.

Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, emerged as chairman of the Convention Organising Committee, pledging to deliver “a credible and better convention in Ibadan” that would set the PDP on course for electoral victory in 2027.

Reacting to the FCT Minister’s threat to disrupt the convention, the Bauchi State governor said those intent on creating “a faction of fools” were free to do their worst, insisting that PDP leaders could not be cowed by threats or blackmail.

Visibly agitated, the PDP Governors’ Forum chairman declared: “If anybody wants to form a faction of fools, we will allow him. We are not cowards, and we are not afraid of any person. We agree to consensus and accommodation, but that is not cowardice.

“We can’t keep quiet and allow people to continue to take us to the slaughterhouse or take us for granted. Enough is enough.” Party insiders expressed regret that the former Rivers State governor was trying to plunge the PDP into another cycle of confusion, alleging that the FCT Minister’s ploy was to factionalise the party to secure a platform for bargaining with the President Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC).

PDP National Chairman Umar Damagum said he had exercised restraint in the face of provocations, not as a sign of weakness, but as a sacrifice to preserve the stability of the party.

“At critical moments, I chose restraint, not out of weakness, but as a conscious sacrifice for the survival and stability of our party,” Damagum said.

“The PDP is not broken, it is not defeated. It is marching forward, stronger and more determined to reclaim the presidency in 2027,” he added.
Former Deputy National Chairman, Chief Olabode George, stated that he had ceased engaging with the FCT Minister due to his perceived anti-party tendencies and persistent attacks on the PDP.

George, a long-standing chieftain of the PDP and one of its founding fathers, told journalists in Lagos that Wike had already made up his mind about his future with the party, stressing that it would be a waste of energy to join issues with him.

He disclosed that the National Working Committee (NWC) and other stakeholders had resolved that no member, no matter how highly placed, should dignify the former Rivers State governor with responses, even when he made provocative remarks against the leadership.

“Ask yourself,” George said, “does it make sense to continue to respond to Wike? Besides his ranting, what else do you think he can do and how else do you think he can behave other than what we have already seen him do? If he likes, let him go and organise his parallel convention. We will then see which one the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will recognise—whether it will be the one the governors and stakeholders will attend or the one he is boasting about.”

George also appealed to the media to stop giving what he called “undue attention” to Wike’s outbursts, which he described as deliberate attempts to destabilise the PDP.

The former Deputy National Chairman warned former presidential aspirant, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, against making divisive statements that could further fracture the party, stressing that no individual, regardless of status, is greater than the PDP, which once controlled 28 states and produced three Nigerian presidents since 1999.

While warning Wike against any attempt to organise a parallel convention, the former zonal vice chairman echoed concerns within the party that the minister might be plotting to hijack the PDP’s structures or force a factional split ahead of the 2027 race.

South-West chapter sues for calm, cooperation
WORRIED by the war of words trailing preparations for the convention, the National Vice Chairman of the South-West zone of the party, Kamourudeen Kosolowoe Ajisafe, appealed for unity to steer the PDP through the crisis.

He also pleaded with Olawepo-Hashim and his supporters to work with the party to strengthen its structure and ensure a successful national convention, rather than fuelling endless internal wrangling.

Ajisafe, speaking against the backdrop of the persistent rejection of the PDP National Executive Committee’s (NEC) decision to zone the 2027 presidential ticket to the South, said genuine members of the party should prioritise rescuing Nigeria from misgovernance and returning the PDP to power.

“That must be the priority. One of the sure means to achieve this is for the party to successfully organise its national convention,” he remarked.
Ajisafe was reacting to a statement credited to the North-West Coordinator of the Gbenga Hashim Vanguard, Aminu Bala Wudilawa, who not only rejected the zoning arrangement but also described the NEC’s decision as “null and void” and a violation of both the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022.

Wudilawa argued that Section 84(3) of the Electoral Act clearly prohibits political parties from imposing additional conditions on aspirants beyond what is provided in the constitution, adding, “Zoning has no legal basis; it is at best a gentleman’s agreement. The constitution guarantees every qualified Nigerian the right to aspire to any office, and PDP cannot take that away.”

He recalled that in 1999, despite zoning arrangements, former President Olusegun Obasanjo still faced stiff competition at the PDP presidential primaries from other aspirants. Similarly, in 2003, Obasanjo was challenged by northern politicians, including the late Alhaji Abubakar Rimi and Barnabas Gemade.

Wudilawa also cited recent remarks by the PDP National Chairman, Umar Damagum, to the BBC Hausa Service, that the NEC resolution would not bar any northerner from contesting the party’s presidential ticket.

The Gbenga Hashim Vanguard chieftain, therefore, urged northerners with political ambition to freely enter the race, insisting that the party must allow for a level playing field.

“We are calling on all interested northerners not to be discouraged. The contest should be open, democratic and fair. The PDP belongs to all Nigerians, not to a section of the country,” he said.

Ajisafe urged stakeholders and leaders across the country to set aside personal ambitions and disagreements, warning that prolonged disputes over zoning could weaken the party ahead of the next general election.

He reiterated that the South-West zone remained committed to decisions taken by the party’s NEC and would continue to push for consensus and unity among members.

“The PDP has the capacity to rescue Nigeria, but we cannot achieve that with internal distractions. Our focus should be on how to mobilise Nigerians, consolidate our structures nationwide and present ourselves as the credible alternative to APC,” he said.

In line with Ajisafe, a former National Vice Chairman of the PDP, Dr Eddy Olafeso, also appealed to Nigerians not to be swayed by the antics of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over the ongoing controversy, stressing that no individual, including Olawepo-Hashim, is bigger than the party.

He said what is essential to the PDP now is the convention, its contents, and how the party will reclaim power from the APC in 2027. Olafeso urged Nigerians to wait for the official position of the PDP rather than relying on Wike’s statements.

He explained that Section 58 of the PDP Constitution identifies offences such as disobedience, anti-party activities, factionalism, and actions capable of bringing the party into disrepute. Section 59, he added, prescribes sanctions for such offences, ranging from reprimand to expulsion, while also empowering executive committees and the National Executive Committee (NEC) to enforce discipline, depending on the rank of the offender.

According to him, any member who persistently opposes the decisions of the NEC in a manner that undermines the party’s image risks facing disciplinary measures under Section 59 of the constitution.

Wike camps draw battle lines over convention
The Wike-led bloc of the PDP met behind closed doors on Monday night and into the early hours of yesterday, issuing a communiqué that rejected the micro-zoning of NWC positions as approved by the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) last week.

The group, comprising PDP National Secretary, Sam Anyanwu, and former governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), insisted that the national chairmanship must remain in the North-Central in line with the 2021 zoning arrangement.

The communiqué, signed under the platform of “Eminent Leaders and Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP,” listed further conditions for a valid convention, including immediate congresses in Ebonyi and Anambra States in compliance with court rulings, a fresh South-East zonal congress, recognition of the valid South-South congress held in Calabar, and the conduct of outstanding Ekiti local government congresses.

“The PDP stands at a defining crossroads where its ability to reconcile disputes and uphold equity will determine its relevance,” the communiqué read. “Any convention that disenfranchises legitimate members will lack validity.”

The group warned that failure to meet its demands would render the convention illegitimate, even as it reaffirmed loyalty to the PDP while calling for unity anchored on fairness and inclusivity.