PDP in turmoil as Makinde, Wike factions clash, threatening NEC meeting

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing an escalating internal crisis, with growing conflict between factions loyal to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

This intensified struggle now threatens the party’s planned 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, initially scheduled for May 27.

In a statement released on Sunday, Wike announced his withdrawal from ongoing reconciliation efforts, squarely blaming Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah for the deepening crisis within the PDP.

“In a personally signed statement on Sunday titled ‘PDP Crisis: My Position,’ Wike declared that the PDP has been plagued by ‘dishonesty and lack of trust amongst its key stakeholders,’ and vowed to ‘fight on until justice is attained.'”

Anonymous sources within the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) told the press that the escalating crisis and the direct threat to the NEC meeting prompted the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) to call for an emergency meeting in Abuja on Monday (today).

Multiple sources revealed that, recognizing the potential harm a postponement could cause, the reconciliation panel led by former Senate President Bukola Saraki held an emergency meeting with key stakeholders on Sunday night.

The PDP has been grappling with internal political turmoil both before and after the 2023 elections. Issues such as the political crisis in Rivers State, disputes surrounding the South-South Zonal Congress, the position of National Secretary, and now the North Central Zonal Congress have further complicated the party’s stability.

Wike, who is reportedly backed by Governors Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Ahmadu Fintiri (Taraba), and others, is angered by decisions made by the NWC and the PDP Governors’ Forum.

He alleges that these decisions, largely influenced by Governors Makinde, Mbah, and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), have undermined his political structure.

Despite numerous interventions from key party organs like the NWC, the Board of Trustees, NEC, and the Governors’ Forum, attempts at resolving the disputes have only widened internal rifts across states and zones.

This ongoing discord has repeatedly delayed the NEC meeting and hindered the party from making critical decisions about its future direction.

The 98th NEC meeting, held on April 18, 2024, failed to resolve major issues, further fueling disunity.

The 99th NEC meeting had faced multiple postponements from its initial August 15 schedule, eventually set for May 27, 2025.

Under increasing pressure, the PDP Governors’ Forum, led by Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed, had directed the NWC in December 2024 to convene the NEC no later than February 2025.

This directive was reiterated during a meeting on January 31 in Asaba, where March 13 was suggested as the new date. However, the meeting was again postponed on March 8 to May 15, after further internal consultations, before the current May 27 date was fixed.

To ensure it proceeds, a seven-member committee of serving and former governors, led by former Senate President Saraki, was formed to tackle remaining challenges.

On May 18, Sunday PUNCH exclusively reported that a faction including the South-East, led by Governor Peter Mbah, along with governors like Seyi Makinde and Bala Mohammed, as well as the PDP Board of Trustees, are opposing the Saraki-led committee’s efforts to reinstate Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the party’s National Secretary.

In response to their refusal to acknowledge his allies, particularly Anyanwu as Secretary, and to yield to his demands, FCT Minister Wike on Sunday officially withdrew from all prior agreements aimed at resolving the PDP’s internal crisis. He cited repeated violations and accused Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State of being the “chief culprit” behind the party’s troubles.

Excerpt: “Wike disclosed that during a G5 meeting in Lagos, he directly confronted Governor Makinde over what he described as a betrayal of trust, adding that there had also been a subsequent expanded meeting held at the Abuja residence of former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, also attend by Governors Umaru Fintiri, Bala Mohammed, and where certain resolutions were reached.”

Among the resolutions from these meetings, according to Wike, were that Senator Samuel Anyanwu remains the National Secretary of the PDP in line with a Supreme Court judgment, all legal matters relating to Rivers State must be withdrawn by the National Legal Adviser, and the suit on the State of Emergency be withdrawn forthwith, with no deviation from the agreements. However, Wike lamented that these resolutions were soon violated.

He specifically accused Makinde of working with Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, to undermine the agreement by orchestrating a 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 also alleged that Makinde organized some individuals in the National Secretariat to insist that the Deputy National Secretary should act as National Secretary, in violation of the agreement.

Wike highlighted a recent incident on May 24, 2025, in Jos, where a well-publicized zonal elective congress of the PDP was aborted because the letter inviting INEC to the congress was signed by the Deputy National Secretary, leading INEC to refuse attendance as the proper signatory, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, was not involved.

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Decrying the situation as “undeniably distasteful, provocative and annoying,” Wike asserted that his commitment to the party since 1998 has never wavered, unlike those he accuses of “playing games to the detriment of the party.”

He concluded, “I have now firmly decided to pull out of all agreements hitherto reached. I have decided to fight on until justice is attained.”

Attempts by correspondents to obtain reactions from Governors Makinde and Mbah regarding Wike’s accusations were unsuccessful, as their Chief Press Secretaries refused to comment.

Responding to the renewed tensions, former Senate President Bukola Saraki pledged to persuade the FCT Minister to rejoin the negotiation process.

Speaking through his media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki gave this assurance, stating, “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 also warned that Nigerians, including stakeholders of the PDP, could not afford to allow the opposition party to go into oblivion, stressing that such a development would see the country evolve into a one-party state.

A source in the NWC, speaking anonymously, revealed that the Saraki-led panel summoned an emergency meeting late Sunday night to pacify all leaders and explore ways for the NEC meeting to hold without further complicating the crisis.

The source stated, “As of now, with the latest developments, it is uncertain whether the NEC meeting scheduled for Tuesday will hold.

However, the Saraki-led panel is meeting with some party leaders tonight.