Dr. Tom FredFish, Chairman of the PDP Advocate for Peace and Justice (PAPAJ) and a senior member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State, has called on the party’s leadership to invoke constitutional measures and expel the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, from the PDP.
The demand came during a press briefing on Wednesday in Uyo, where Dr. FredFish responded to Wike’s recent assertion that no one within the party hierarchy possesses the authority to remove him from its ranks.
Dr. FredFish accused Minister Wike of acting in direct violation of the PDP Constitution, as well as the party’s core ideals and principles. “If Mr. Wike claims he is working hard for the party, Nigerians must ask: what kind of ‘hard work’ is he doing? Is it positive or negative?” Dr. FredFish challenged. He contended that Wike’s actions following his unsuccessful bid for the PDP presidential nomination in 2023 have been detrimental to the party’s interests.
“How can a man who openly worked against the PDP in the 2023 presidential election still claim to be advancing the party’s cause?” Dr. FredFish asked. He pointed to allegations that, after losing the PDP ticket, Wike “connived with, encouraged, and ordered 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to him to decamp to the APC, undermining PDP’s control in Rivers State.”
According to Dr. FredFish, Wike’s appointment as FCT Minister was intended to “destroy the PDP,” a task he claims Wike has executed “very well.” He warned that party loyalists nationwide should not applaud Wike’s purported “compromise” of PDP leadership efforts.
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Dr. FredFish further criticized Wike for “demeaning” remarks made about other PDP leaders—citing, in particular, Wike’s recent public criticisms of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde. “There is no one in the country who has de-marketed the PDP more than Wike,” Dr. FredFish asserted.
To formalize his expulsion request, Dr. FredFish urged the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT)—headed by former Senate President Senator Adolfus Wabara, former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and former Senate President Senator David Mark—to support the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) in invoking Sections 10(6), 57, and 58 of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017).
These provisions, he explained, provide the framework for disciplinary actions against members whose conduct is deemed inimical to the party’s interests. He cited Section 59 of the PDP Constitution as the operative clause under which Wike should be expelled.
“Minister Wike has consistently violated our party’s constitutional provisions,” Dr. FredFish emphasized. “The PDP must wield the ‘big stick’ swiftly to preserve its integrity and unity.”
At the briefing, journalists noted that Wike has yet to respond publicly to Dr. FredFish’s expulsion call. Wike’s statement earlier this week—that “no one has the power to expel me from the PDP”—appears to have prompted Dr. FredFish’s insistence on formal enforcement of the party constitution.
PDP insiders in Abuja said the BoT and NWC are expected to deliberate on Dr. FredFish’s proposal at an upcoming discreet meeting.
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Some senior party officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that calls for disciplinary action against Wike have been growing louder in recent weeks, particularly after Wike’s high-profile criticisms of sitting PDP governors and influential party figures.
Any decision to expel Wike would mark one of the most significant intra-party disciplinary measures in the PDP’s recent history.
Despite these tensions, other PDP leaders have urged calm and cautioned against public airing of internal disputes. A senior member of the NWC, who also asked not to be named, remarked, “The PDP is a large coalition of interests. We must exhaust dialogue and mediation before resorting to constitutional sanctions. Minister Wike, like all members, has a right to due process under our constitution.”
However, Dr. FredFish insists that Wike’s prior efforts to undermine the party leave no room for lengthy mediation. “We cannot allow anyone to continuously sabotage the PDP’s unity and electoral chances,” the PAPAJ chairman stated, adding that swift action is necessary to deter other potential disruptors within the party.
As the PDP’s leadership grapples with this high-stakes internal dispute, all eyes remain on Nyesom Wike, whose political future within the party hangs in the balance. Should the BoT and NWC approve Dr. FredFish’s motion, Wike will become the first high-ranking PDP officeholder to face expulsion proceedings under the party’s amended 2017 constitution