November 15, (THEWILL) — The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday expelled former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike; the suspended National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; and several other prominent members over alleged anti-party activities.
Also expelled are former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose; Kamaldeen Ajibade; Bature; Mao Ohuabunwa; factional Acting National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed; George Turner; Austin Nwachukwu; Abraham Amah; and Dan Orbih.
Their expulsion was announced during the party’s National Convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, following the adoption of a motion moved by former National Vice-Chairman (South), Olabode George, and seconded by Bauchi PDP Chairman, Samaila Buga.
The development comes amid a raft of litigations, factional power tussles and deep internal divisions that have clouded preparations for the convention.
Addressing delegates at the opening session, Chairman of the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC) and Governor of Adamawa State, Umaru Fintiri, reflected on the party’s journey since the last convention held in October 2021, which he also chaired.
Fintiri restated the PDP’s foundational values and urged members to recommit to the ideals that have shaped the party since its inception.
“Today again, I am deeply bound to call our attention to the definition of what the Peoples Democratic Party stands for — a party founded on courage and democratic ideals to rescue Nigeria,” he said.
He noted that Nigerians still look to the PDP as a stabilising force, cautioning against straying from the party’s core principles.
“We must reinvent ourselves,” he added.
The governor acknowledged the internal crises that have weakened the PDP, urging delegates to seize the convention as an opportunity to rebuild unity and restore confidence.
“We must agree that as a party, we have a huge responsibility to reinvent ourselves. Whatever bad that has happened to Nigeria over the past few years has also happened to our party,” he said.
Fintiri admitted that fractured commitment and declining loyalty had left the PDP “disunited and disheartened,” but maintained that its core remained intact.
“Some of us have left, yet some have remained. The soul of the party is still strong because men and women still believe in its rescue mission and its capacity to give Nigeria true democratic governance,” he stated.
He extended an olive branch to former party members, urging them to return, insisting they would “find greater frustration outside the party than within.”
Fintiri emphasised the need for a renewed “unity of purpose” as the PDP elects new national officers and reorganises its internal structure.
He concluded by stressing that his role as NCOC chairman was purely procedural — to oversee the conduct of the convention, not influence its outcomes.
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