The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is battling renewed internal strife as former Rivers State Governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has withdrawn from all reconciliation efforts. His decision casts doubt over the party’s long-awaited 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, initially scheduled for May 27.
Wike made the announcement in a statement on Sunday, accusing Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah of betraying internal agreements and deepening the party’s crisis. This move has triggered an emergency meeting of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) in Abuja, as tensions rise over the fate of the NEC session.
Sources within the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) say Wike’s withdrawal could jeopardize the May 27 meeting. An emergency gathering of the Saraki-led reconciliation panel held Sunday night, as party leaders scrambled to salvage the process.
Wike Points Fingers
Wike did not mince words in his statement, labeling Governor Makinde as the “chief culprit” in the unfolding drama. He claims that Makinde, alongside Mbah and Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed, undermined an earlier peace agreement brokered by former Senate President Bukola Saraki.
According to Wike, several resolutions were reached at a reconciliation meeting hosted by Saraki in Abuja. These included affirming Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the PDP’s National Secretary, withdrawing legal cases related to the Rivers State crisis, and ending litigation on the state of emergency.
But Wike alleges that shortly after those decisions, Makinde and Mbah orchestrated a parallel effort to replace Anyanwu with Ude Okoye. He also accused the duo of plotting to install the Deputy National Secretary as acting secretary without consensus.
These alleged violations, he said, led to leadership confusion within the PDP and even caused the cancellation of the North Central zonal congress in Jos on May 24, after INEC received unsigned notifications.
Tensions Peak Ahead of NEC
Party insiders say the 99th NEC meeting is a make-or-break moment for the PDP. The 98th NEC session, held in April, failed to address key internal disputes, particularly the power tussle over leadership in the South-South and North Central zones.
Wike’s faction, supported by Plateau Governor Caleb Mutfwang and Taraba’s Ahmadu Fintiri, is reportedly pushing back against perceived attempts by Makinde and others to sideline their bloc within the party structure.
While Makinde and Mbah have not publicly responded, the PDP is said to be split on whether to proceed with the NEC meeting. One NWC source warned that going ahead without consensus could worsen the crisis.
Mixed Reactions from Party Chapters
The crisis has drawn mixed reactions from state chapters of the PDP. Ekiti Caretaker Committee Chairman, Dare Adeleke, accused Wike of working against the party and hinted at an agenda to defect to the APC. Ogun State Secretary, Sunday Solarin, echoed that view, calling Wike a disengaged member looking for an exit strategy.
Gombe PDP Chairman Mamman Kwaskebe dismissed Wike’s actions as a distraction, while Bayelsa Chairman Solomon Agwanana said Wike had long ceased being loyal to the PDP and was openly backing President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
In contrast, the PDP spokesperson in Sokoto, Hassan Sanyinnawal, declined to comment, calling it a national issue. Bauchi State’s PDP Publicity Secretary, Dayyabu Ciroma, said Wike’s influence would wane once the NEC meeting holds. Chief Osita Madu in Anambra described Wike as a “double agent” working with the APC to weaken the PDP.
Saraki: We Won’t Give Up
Reacting to Wike’s pullout, Bukola Saraki’s media aide described it as a “setback” but not a dealbreaker. He stressed the importance of saving the PDP from collapse, warning that the party’s disintegration could lead to a one-party state.
With the BoT meeting underway in Abuja, all eyes are on whether the party can bridge the divide in time to hold the NEC meeting and begin restoring internal cohesion.
As the countdown to May 27 continues, the PDP faces one of its biggest tests yet — and Port Harcourt, where much of the storm is rooted, remains a critical battleground in the struggle for control.
