Wike, Makinde Camp’s Open War Puts PDP Convention on Edge

By Eshiorameh Sebastian, Abuja

The path to the Peoples Democratic Party’s National Elective Convention in Ibadan has been thrown into fresh turmoil following a sharp rebuke from allies of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike.

This new mutiny centres on a Southern Leaders’ Zoning Consultative meeting held in Lagos, which the Wike camp has outrightly rejected and labelled an illegal gathering.

In a strongly worded statement issued during a press conference on Thursday, a faction comprising state chairmen from Imo, Abia, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers states, alongside National Assembly leaders and other stakeholders, publicly distanced themselves from the event.

They dismissed “any resolutions, communiqués, or outcomes” from the Lagos meeting, declaring them “neither binding on, nor reflective of the collective will and aspirations of the PDP family across Southern Nigeria.”

The group condemned what they described as a meeting convened without proper consultation, stating, “The attention of the undersigned state chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party from the South and some critical stakeholders has been drawn to a meeting ‘Nicodemously’ summoned in Lagos today, 21st August 2025, by some persons purporting to do so on behalf of PDP members of the South.”

They expressed deep disturbance at the exclusions that marred the meeting, noting, “It is highly regrettable and indeed deeply disturbing that such a meeting was convened without the courtesy of inviting several state chairmen from the South-East and South-South, as well as the duly elected National Secretary and Deputy National Legal Adviser of our great party. Even more troubling is the inexplicable exclusion of several national officers, eminent leaders, and critical stakeholders of the PDP.”

The signatories, including Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, O. K. Chinda, and Senators Mao Ohuabunwa and George Sekibo, warned that the parley was “premature and targeted at protecting the interest and selfish ambition of a select few.”

They urged the party’s national bodies to disregard any outcome, declaring it “illegal and divisive,” and vowed to resist it, stating, “Take notice that where any iota of regard is given to the outcome of the purported meeting, we shall not hesitate to take appropriate steps in line with our party’s constitution to resist the same with full force.”

In response, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, who attended the Lagos meeting, framed the effort as one aimed at repositioning the PDP. He suggested his camp would not engage in a public slanging match, saying, “Personally, when people go low or go into the gutters, I don’t go with them. Some people are now going into the gutters. We will reach out to them. That is democracy. I can disagree with people, but there shouldn’t be anything personal here.”

On the specific issue of zoning the presidential ticket, Makinde clarified that the party’s immediate focus was on unity, not the presidency, explaining, “We haven’t even got there. We need to have a party first before you start talking about presidential candidates. If we don’t have a party, anything you are trying to do will fall flat. Our efforts right now are directed towards having a vibrant and united PDP that Nigerians will be proud of and believe in again.”

Meanwhile, adding another layer to the ongoing crisis, Minister Wike himself made statements that appeared to align his interests with the ruling party. While commissioning a project in Abuja, he said, “For me, I’m here to talk about those who have access to the government and bring something to the people… I don’t know the party he belongs to. But I know that he supports Tinubu. Anybody who supports Tinubu, I will support him.”