The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have ambushed Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and PDP 2023 presidential aspirant, over the raging crisis in the party, particularly, the controversy over the national secretary.
The PDP leadership has seemingly deployed the party’s political machine for consultation with the INEC, to subtly offset Wike and deflate his stronghold and adopt acceptable regulatory and legal processes to ease out the controversial National Secretary, perceived to, hypothetically, be planted in the PDP by Wike to tentatively scuttle the party’s activities or advance Wike’s interests and dictates.
Accordingly, the PDP successfully held the 600th meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) last Tuesday; and subsequently, held the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting last Wednesday; the latter against the decoy of the controversial National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, to frustrate the NEC meeting.
The resilience of the PDP is beginning to build up as Wike is at loggerhead with his ally and member of the PDP G5, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, whose political stout cannot be undermined.
Paradoxically, Wike’s seemingly fallout with Makinde reflects a marked deflation of his political forte in the battle with the PDP. Other members of the G5 include former Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, former Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, and Wike, former Governor of Rivers State.
While Wike has been using his appointment as the FCT Minister to sustain his political relevance and clout, the other three – Ortom, Ikpeazu amd Ugwuanyi – appear to have declined into the sublime and political obscurity; yet, Makinde has incumbency powers at his behest.
This political calculus, tentatively, causes deep offset in the power equation of Wike’s political forte against the PDP.
Invariably, Wike’s albatross in his “battle without limit”, with the PDP, is the weakening of his power bloc initially built on the G5; essentially, losing an incumbent governor that would have been providing reinforcement from within for him.
The controversial National Secretary, Sam Anyanwu, had on Tuesday, announced the postponement of the PDP NEC meeting scheduled for Wednesday, citing the breach of agreement between Wike and the PDP governors. Anyanwu had maintained that the postponement was to allow the Saraki reconciliation committee to make progress with its mandate.
However, the PDP leadership urged party stakeholders to ignore the announcement. The PDP Acting National Chairman, Amb. Iliya Damagum, at a Media briefing on Tuesday, declared that the NEC will hold on Wednesday as scheduled.
According to the party leadership, “All members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the general public may recall the 600th meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) held on Tuesday, 29th April, 2025 wherein the NWC resolved to hold the 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Tuesday, 27th May, 2025, and the Acting National Chairman, H.E. Amb. Iliya Damagum’s Media address on the same Tuesday, 29th April, 2025 on the summoning of NEC.
“Distinguished members of NEC are hereby reminded of the scheduled 99th NEC meeting as earlier summoned to hold…”
The PDP had deployed its political machine at the National Caucus meeting on Monday to appoint a committee comprising Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu and Governor Dauda Lawal Dare of Zamfara State, mandated them to liaise with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the status of the law and due process over the controversy of the national secretary of the party.
The three-man committee, on Tuesday, briefed the PDP leaders on the INEC advice regarding the regulatory guideline, acquainting the party that “21 working days must be given based on due process, adding that the due process must commence with a petition from the south East zone that they had lost confidence in Anyanwu as the substantive national secretary.”
The PDP was, accordingly, encouraged to move ahead with the NEC Meeting on Wednesday which the controversial Anyanwu had postponed.
The 99th NEC Meeting was held at Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja.
The PDP utilizing the guidance from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the National Executive Committee (NEC), suspended deliberations on the controversial national secretary, Sam Anyanwu, to the next NEC meeting on June 30, 2025.
Moreover, the99th NEC Meeting was monitored by INEC officials as required. At the meeting, a petition was formerly submitted by the south east zone on their loss of confidence in Anyanwu as the national secretary.
The PDP 99th NEC Meeting subsequently, adopted the petition of the south east members and adjourned for another NEC meeting to June 30, where the issue of a substantive national secretary would be deliberated with consensus building and agreement.
The PDP NEC, thereafter, appointed a committee on zoning, and another committee on its National Convention to elect new NWC members for the administration of the secretariat.
The PDP in a communiqué had declared: ‘’NEC restates our party’s belief in democracy, the rule of law and the supremacy of the will of the people as expressed through their free and unhindered democratic participation into multi-party politics and governance.
‘’The successful convening of the 99th NEC meeting clearly communicates our party’s unity and focus despite challenges.
“NEC also received and ratified the composition of the committee on the zoning of national offices ahead of the national convention.
‘’The members of these zoning committees are Governor Duoye Diri, Chairman; Governor Dauda Lawal, Vice-Chairman; and Kaleb Mutfwang, Secretary. That is the zoning committee.
‘’The members of the National Convention Committee are Governor Amadu Fintiri, Chairman; Governor Ademola Adeleke, Vice-Chairman; and Governor Peter Mbah, Secretary.
‘’NEC also received the resolution of the South-East General Executive with regard to the issue of the National Secretary, and to be considered and deliberated upon in the next NEC which is slated for June 30
‘’NEC reassures Nigerians that PDP remains strong resilient united and determined now more than ever before in leading the charge to rescue our nation from the vicious grip of APC administration.”
Apparently, the PDP has crafted feasible process to ease out the controversial national secretary, an action that could further weaken the Wike political forte from within.
Wike had in a statement narrated that at a meeting of the G5 held in Lagos, he made clear to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, that he was the architect of their problems for non-adherence to agreements reached, and that he was the chief culprit of this anomaly.
The Minister stated that there was also an expanded meeting in Abuja involving Governor Seyi Makinde, Governor Umaru Fintri of Adamawa State, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, at Saraki’s Guest House, ABuja.
According to Wike, “in that meeting, I made it clear that I had no personal problems with Bala Mohammed, except that he hides under the facade of Chairman of PDP Governors Forum to serially renege on agreements. “
He maintained that at the end of the meeting, they made some resolutions, including:
That Senator Sam Anyanwu remains the National Secretary of the PDP in tandem with the Supreme Court judgement.
All legal matters relating to Rivers State must be withdrawn by the National Legal Adviser.
The suit on the State of emergency be withdrawn forthwith.
Nobody should deviate from the agreements so reached.
Wike declared that “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 House was already being crudely violated.
“To my chagrin, Makinde had connived with Peter Mba 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. I have since granted an interview to the effect that, that resolution of the South-East leaders cannot hold.
“Again, Seyi organized 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.
“To attempt to give credence to this farce, a letter was written by the Deputy National Secretary, calling for a meeting of the NEC of the party.”
Wike, in the ultimate denouement, declared: “I have now firmly decided to pull out of all agreements hitherto reached.
“I have decided to fight on until justice is attained.”
Meanwhile, the regulatory guidance of the INEC provided the PDP seeming escape route from Wike’s battle and the national secretary controversy, after which the leaders may recover the PDP.
It would appear that Wike’s fall is becoming imminent; after the PDP may have elected new leaders and NWC members, who the minister may not influence.
