Convention: PDP treads carefully as Wike’s camp faces challenging circumstances

On Monday night, a faction inside the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)—led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike—threatened to defect from the party in the event that their recent demands were not satisfied.

They threatened to disenfranchise legal party members at the upcoming national convention in November if the party did not agree with their resolutions and demands.

At the conclusion of Monday’s closed-door meeting in Abuja, which was attended by the group’s national secretary, Sam Anyanwu, and other officials, XANDERTECH stated that the group released a communique.

Wike, Samuel Anyanwu, the PDP national secretary, Okezie Ikpeazu, the former governor of Abia, Kingsley Chinda, the minority leader of the House of Representatives, Martins Ameawhule, the suspended speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly, Samuel Ortom, the former governors of Benue, Ekiti, and Enugu, and many more were among those who were present at the meeting.

Party officials close to Wike have demanded that new PDP congresses be held in the states of Ebonyi and Anambra, as well as the party’s recognition of the recent south-south congress in Calabar, Cross River.

Moreover, it emphasised the importance of promptly holding the PDP local government congresses in Ekiti state in accordance with the current court directives.

We demand that the National Working Committee immediately convene new, open, and inclusive congresses in the states of Ebonyi and Anambra in compliance with court rulings. That the South-East Zonal Congress be held in a new and lawful manner.

It is imperative that the court accept and uphold the results of the lawful South-South Congress that was held in Calabar, Cross River State.

The urgent convening of the Ekiti State Local Government Areas Congress is imperative, as ordered by the current court ruling, according to the group’s communiqué.

According to XANDERTECH, Wike had earlier stated that the PDP problem was “temporarily over” after the “buccaneers and vampires” left.

To avoid further chaos, the minister has emphasised that the party’s National Vice Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, was elected at the most recent South South Zonal Congress and that this decision must be respected.

“I said the right thing had to be done because I was going to stay in the PDP,” he stated. I refuse to abandon the buccaneers and vampires and the party for whom I have sacrificed all.

I should have stayed in PDP so the vampires and buccaneers could have arrived and collected the ticket.

“Well, it is over for now because there are still some things remaining which I have told them they must do,” the minister stated when asked if the crisis has passed. We have a responsibility to maintain our South-South Zonal Congress. Absolutely, without a doubt.

Chief Dan Orbih is the PDP South South’s National Vice Chairman. An another crisis will ensue if they cannot reach an agreement.

DAILY POST states that the PDP must decide whether to appease the FCT Minister, which could further alienate other stakeholders, or to stay fast and face open conflict with one of its most outspoken power brokers.

Let us not forget that Wike has maintained his position as a formidable critic of the PDP and a ministerial appointee of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Wike wants guarantees that his supporters will have a say in party matters, particularly in the South-South zone, according to sources close to the PDP leadership who spoke with DAILY POST.

An additional allegation is that the minister is attempting to have some NWC members removed from their positions because he feels they have been betraying his political interests since the 2023 presidential primaries.

Some party leaders have voiced concerns that caving in to Wike’s demands may further exacerbate internal tensions, which has worried the party as a whole.

No one person matters more than the party. According to a source, Wike is still a powerful member, but his recent demands could delay convention preparations if not handled properly.

How the party handles Wike’s requests in the next weeks will determine how cohesive it can be, according to some experts.

Chieftain of the PDP: Decision still up to NWC

Responding to the warning from Wike’s camp, PDP Enugu North Zonal Chairman Fabian Onah told XANDER that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) would act accordingly.

According to Onah, the party’s top organ will decide on the matter.

There is a party national working committee; I don’t have anything to add. They have the ability to resolve any problem.

Our government would not kowtow to impunity – PDP

Tuesday saw responses from PDP-backed governors to Wike’s camp about the six demands placed on party leadership in order to ensure a peaceful convention.

In their statements, the governors vowed to bring discipline to the PDP and made it clear that the party would not tolerate haughtiness, incompetence, or discord.

During Tuesday’s inauguration of the National Convention Planning Committee, Bala Mohammed, who is also the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and the governor of Bauchi State, spoke on behalf of the PDP governors.

Mohammed remarked that the party members are not afraid to face down anyone who tries to stop them.

Keeping the focus on the convention’s scheduled activities, the governor of Bauchi vowed that his PDP colleagues would not be sidetracked.

As for us, we are not scared of anyone or anything, he declared.

We can lead this celebration out of its current predicament, free of the haughtiness, narcissism, and impunity that has plagued it.

We can’t keep taking part if we let people lead us to our demise. Taking care of that is our responsibility.

And it is our responsibility to avoid the abattoir at all costs.

To make sure that happens, the committee and the governors are working together. Discipline is the key.

Taking advantage of us is something we will no longer stand for. This must end. I have had enough. This will not be tolerated any longer.

Jacob Mark: Wike is no longer a PDP member.

In the meantime, Jacob Mark, a former national legal adviser for the PDP, has criticised Wike for his remarks against the party.

Mark announced that Wike had left the opposition party in an interview with Arise TV that aired on Tuesday.

According to him, Wike has been avoiding all PDP gatherings and activities.

Our ability to confirm his current political affiliation is limited, he stated. Neither a member nor an attendee of any PDP gathering can be said for him. He has no say in how the party decides to proceed.

We are taken aback whenever we hear him mention the party in the media, particularly on topics that are unrelated to the party, because he has never raised any objections or expressed concern about it.

“I fail to comprehend how an individual can aspire to hold public office by merely dictating policies to others.”

Analyst: PDP has to act swiftly in response to Wike’s threat

The upcoming PDP national convention is in jeopardy, according to Nduka Odo, a public affairs analyst and communication scholar at Peaceland University, Enugu, Nigeria, who spoke with XANDERTECH. Odo expressed concern over the proposal by former Rivers State governor Wike to hold new congresses in certain states.

For Odo, the demand represents “a battle for the remnant soul of the PDP,” a sign of discontent among those whose interests were left out of the recent state congresses’ decisions.

He claims that this change has disturbed grassroots opposition party members.

He made the observation that PDP members at the ward and local government levels no longer go in a certain way, based on their reactions and moods.

Rather than focussing on the fundamental problems confronting the PDP, he continued, Wike has wasted time making assumptions about Peter Obi’s potential 2027 presidential campaign program.

For what reasons does Wike’s entourage desire new congresses in Anambra and Ebonyi? To get to the bottom of things, you have to answer that question.

“What happens to a group when its leaders have skeletons in their closet?” “What do you think?” Odo said.

Additionally, the researcher cautioned that the PDP needs to swiftly clarify its stance before the convention.

To ensure its continued existence and relevance, the PDP must make its intentions clear early on regarding whether it will run as an independent party or as a wing of the ruling party.

He warned that “divergent demands keep emerging from supposed members,” which could cause the national convention to fail.