The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is embroiled in a deepening internal crisis as factions loyal to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike intensify their battle for control.
This escalating conflict threatens to derail the party’s planned 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, scheduled for May 27, 2025.
On Sunday, Wike officially withdrew from ongoing reconciliation efforts, directly blaming Governor Makinde and Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah for the turmoil engulfing the party. In a statement titled “PDP Crisis: My Position,” Wike lamented the “dishonesty and lack of trust amongst its key stakeholders,” and vowed to “fight on until justice is attained.”
Wike accused Makinde of orchestrating moves to undermine party agreements, including attempts to replace Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary despite a Supreme Court ruling affirming Anyanwu’s position. “Seyi Makinde had connived with Peter Mbah of Enugu State to orchestrate the summoning of the meeting of so-called South-East leaders to recommend that if Ude Okoye was not adopted as secretary, they would pull out of the PDP,” Wike stated.
The crisis has forced the PDP’s Board of Trustees to convene an emergency meeting on Monday, May 26, in Abuja to discuss the party’s future. Sources within the PDP National Working Committee revealed that the Saraki-led reconciliation panel held an urgent meeting Sunday night to try to salvage the situation.
Since the 2023 elections, the PDP has been plagued by internal disputes, including controversies over the Rivers State political crisis, zonal congresses, and leadership positions. Despite interventions by key party organs such as the NWC, Board of Trustees, NEC, and Governors’ Forum, these conflicts have only deepened divisions.
Former Senate President Bukola Saraki, who leads the reconciliation committee, expressed optimism that Wike’s withdrawal was not a setback but a call for intensified mediation. “Wike’s pulling out of the arrangement is not really a setback as you inferred. It’s just an indication that we still need to do more work and intensify more efforts,” Saraki said.
Meanwhile, PDP state chapters have expressed varied reactions. Some, like Ekiti State’s PDP Caretaker Chairman Dare Adeleke, condemned Wike’s actions as detrimental to the party, while others, including Bayelsa PDP Chairman Solomon Agwanana, accused Wike of working for the ruling APC.
As the PDP faces this critical juncture, the upcoming NEC meeting’s fate remains uncertain, with both factions determined to assert their influence. The outcome will significantly shape the party’s trajectory ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
