In the latest sign of deepening rifts within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for May 27 has been postponed, just hours after Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike announced his withdrawal from a peace accord with PDP governors and declared his readiness for political battle.
The postponement was confirmed by PDP National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who explained that the decision was intended to give the Senator Bukola Saraki-led “Way Forward Committee” more time to complete its reconciliation efforts. Anyanwu underscored the importance of the committee’s work in preparing the ground for a unified and productive NEC session.
A statement from Anyanwu stressed that any notice or publication of a NEC meeting issued by the deputy national secretary, claiming to act as the national secretary, is “unauthorised, illegal, and should be disregarded.” He acknowledged the inconvenience the rescheduling may cause but reaffirmed his commitment to party unity and cohesion.
However, an official from the party’s publicity unit reportedly urged stakeholders to ignore Anyanwu’s statement, highlighting the ongoing disarray.
Earlier in the day, Minister Wike released a strongly worded statement detailing what he described as a series of betrayals and violations of trust by PDP leaders, particularly accusing Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, of undermining recent reconciliation efforts.
“Since after the 2023 general election, the PDP has been wantonly swinging from one part of a slippery precipice to another, owing fundamentally to dishonesty and lack of trust amongst its key stakeholders,” Wike said in the personally signed statement.
Wike described several meetings—first in Lagos and later in Abuja—where party leaders, including Governors Makinde, Bala Mohammed, and Umaru Fintiri, met to resolve internal disputes.
“To this end, a meeting of the G5 was held in Lagos. In that meeting, I made it clear to the Governor of Oyo State, HE. Seyi Makinde, that he was the architect of our problems,” he said.
“In that meeting, I made it clear that I had no personal problems with HE. Bala Mohammed, except that he hides under the facade of Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum to serially renege on agreements,” he added.
Wike said the group agreed on resolutions, including reaffirming Senator Anyanwu as National Secretary and ordering the withdrawal of all related legal matters, especially those concerning Rivers State. But he claimed these resolutions were ignored.
“It is disheartening to note that even before the Bukola Saraki Reconciliation Committee began its work, the gentleman’s agreement we reached at Saraki’s Guest House was already being crudely violated,” Wike said.
He alleged that Governor Makinde and Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State orchestrated moves to sideline Anyanwu and elevate the deputy national secretary in his place.
“Again, Seyi Makinde organised some people in the National Secretariat to insist that the Deputy National Secretary should act as National Secretary, in violation of the agreement earlier reached,” he stated.
Wike also condemned actions around the party’s governorship candidate confirmation in Anambra, describing them as a breach of internal agreements.
“Furthermore, the letter confirming the candidacy of the governorship candidate of the party in the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State… was portrayed as rejected by the party through a rebuttal letter signed by the National Publicity Secretary,” Wike stated.
Citing INEC’s refusal to attend a zonal congress in Jos due to procedural errors he attributed to internal sabotage, Wike declared his full withdrawal from all previous agreements.
“I have now firmly decided to pull out of all agreements hitherto reached. I have decided to fight on until justice is attained,” he said.
Damagum Denies Allegations of Incompetence and APC Links
Meanwhile, acting National Chairman of the PDP, Ambassador Umar Damagum, has pushed back against accusations that he is working in concert with the All Progressives Congress (APC) or is incompetent.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, Damagum rejected claims of disloyalty, including rumors of a secret meeting with President Bola Tinubu in the UK.
“May God be judge between me and whoever slandered me, and may God judge us, if I am working for the APC,” Damagum said.
He reaffirmed his long-standing association with the PDP, noting that he had remained loyal since 1999.
“I have a history. Since I joined the PDP in 1999, I have never defected,” he said.
On his ties with Wike, Damagum acknowledged their association but denied granting any undue favors.
“For all those who accuse me of having links with the Minister of FCT… my only fault here is that I did not allow them to do what they wanted with him,” he stated.
He described the defection of some PDP members to the APC as a regrettable loss, though he rejected claims they were mistreated.
“We must be sad. Whenever you lose someone, you don’t feel happy, even if it’s just one person you’re grieving for,” he said.
Damagum insisted that internal disagreements do not mean the PDP is broken.
“PDP is one. It is true that there are internal problems… because its leaders are people… and everyone has their own interests,” he added.
North Central PDP Elects New Executives in Jos
Amid the broader party turmoil, the North-central zone of the PDP successfully held its zonal congress in Jos over the weekend. The event concluded peacefully, with Mohammed Abdulrahman elected as the National Vice Chairman (North-central).
Other officials elected include Orogu Francis as Zonal Secretary and Ndagana Alhasan as Zonal Youth Leader. The process was lauded for its transparency and adherence to the Electoral Act.
In his acceptance speech, Abdulrahman pledged to reposition the party in the zone, calling for collective support.
Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, hailed the peaceful conduct of the congress and urged the new leadership to prioritize reconciliation and strategic planning ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Today’s congress was peaceful and successful. It clearly shows that the PDP in the North-central is alive and vibrant,” Mutfwang said.
“I urge the newly elected executive to hit the ground running, reconcile differences, and build a strong, united front ahead of the 2027 elections,” he added.
