May 25, (THEWILL) – Two days to the meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on May 27, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has announced his withdrawal from all reconciliation efforts aimed at resolving the lingering crisis within the party, vowing to continue the fight until justice is served.
In a strongly worded statement personally signed and released on Sunday, Wike blamed the collapse of peace talks on “dishonesty and lack of trust” among party stakeholders, with particular emphasis on Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, whom he accused of being the “chief culprit” in the party’s internal crisis.
“The party’s persistent failure to honour agreements reached among its leaders is the root cause of its current disunity. And Governor Makinde has been at the centre of this anomaly,” Wike stated.
Coming on the heels of the efforts by the former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki- led Special Reconciliation Committee of the party, to reconcile aggrieved parties in the prolonged dispute over the position of National Secretary ahead of the party’s proposed NEC meeting and its National convention in August, Wike’s withdrawal notice has “thrown spanners in the wheel of progress,” a former official of the party confided in THEWILL on Sunday night.
Although he expressed doubt about the genuineness of the FCT Minister’s participation in the peace process, he disclosed that the only viable option open to the party might be to continue the negotiation till October when the tenure of the current National Working Committee, NWC, of the party expires and “common sense will prevail.”
According to investigation, however, Wike’s decision is connected to his realisation that the PDP leadership has arrived at the decision to cede the disputed position of National Secretary to Hon. Sunday Ude-Okoye in opposition to the incumbent, who is also his candidate, Senator Samuel Anyanwu and tomorrow’s NEC meeting may ratify the choice made.
Members of the Saraki-led committee at the weekend met with Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State and leaders of the party in the South-East in a last -minute effort to resolve the crisis rocking the party.
Former Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson, and former Governor of Gombe State, Dr. Ibrahim Dankwambo, both of who are members of the committee, were present at the meeting.
They were there to appease the South-East zone whose leaders had in a communique issued after the PDP Zonal Executive Council meeting recently, announced the re-nomination of former PDP National Youth Leader, Sunday Udeh-Okoye, to serve out the remaining tenure of the National Secretary. They threatened to pull out of the party together if their position was disrespected.
Facing an open threat in the form of the defections of some high-profile leaders of the party to the All Progressives Congress, APC, notably Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, local government chairmen, members of Oborevwori’s cabinet, three serving PDP Senators from Kebbi State- Adamu Aliero, Yahaya Abdullahi, Garba Maidoki -and Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State’s notification to defect in June, the PDP leadership decided to appease the South-East zone and stem the tide of further defections. Enugu is the only state among five others in the zone where the party has a presence.
Wike’s withdrawal from peace may plunge the party into another round of lawsuits over the disputed NWC position, according to investigation.
In an interview with THEWILL, spokesperson to the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka, said the party would be disregarding the Supreme Court ruling in March which restored party supremacy over matters that affect the party, if it goes ahead to dump Anyanwu for Ude-Okoye.
Following that apex court ruling, which Ude-Okoye and Anyanwu and their backers interpreted selectively, the Governors Forum directed the NWC to appoint Deputy National Secretary, Arch. Setonji Koshoedo to act as National Secretary and fixed the NEC meeting for May 27 and the National Convention for August, this year.
Olayinka said his boss had disputed the power of the governors to make such decisions as their role in the party is advisory.
He said, “The problem in the party is very simple and straightforward, but for people who are trying to work towards an answer. Anyanwu did not resign his position when he went to contest for Imo State governorship, which is not against the party’s constitution. Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas was state party chairman and did not resign his position before he contested for the governorship ticket of the party.”
Olayinka said his boss had made it clear that any attempt to fix a NEC meeting and National Convention without the input of the National Secretary, which is Anyanwu, will lead to an illegality. “So, the real problem in the party are those pursuing an ‘Anyanwu-must-go’ agenda. If the Saraki Committee goes against Anyanwu then we will contest the matter in the courts. If my boss does not do it, I will do so. The questions will be, did Anyanwu resign as National Secretary, no? Has his tenure ended, no? For God’s sake, the tenure of the current National Working Committee expires in October this year. Why are we not ready to wait till then?”
Giving reasons for his withdrawal from further peace talks, Wike recalled a meeting of the G5 in Lagos, where he directly confronted Governor Makinde, accusing him of derailing reconciliation efforts. Despite heated exchanges, he said the group had resolved to set aside differences for the sake of unity.
Wike further recounted another meeting held in Abuja with Governors Makinde, Umaru Fintiri, Bala Mohammed and former Senate President Bukola Saraki. At the meeting, he clarified that his only concern with Governor Bala Mohammed was his failure to honour agreements while hiding behind the title of PDP Governors’ Forum Chairman.
The Abuja meeting reportedly ended with key resolutions: the retention of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary in line with a Supreme Court judgment, the withdrawal of legal cases involving the Rivers State PDP chapter, and the suspension of a proposed state of emergency suit.
However, Wike lamented that the agreements were violated, even before the Saraki-led reconciliation committee could begin its work.
He accused Makinde and Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State of holding a meeting of South-East leaders to push for Ude Okoye’s emergence as National Secretary, threatening to quit the PDP if their demand was not met.
“I have since made it clear that the resolution of the South-East leaders cannot stand,” Wike stated.
The former Rivers State governor also alleged that Makinde orchestrated moves within the National Secretariat to replace Senator Anyanwu with the Deputy National Secretary, against the terms of the Abuja agreement.
“To legitimise this charade, a letter was issued by the Deputy National Secretary convening a meeting of the party’s NEC. Worse still, a letter confirming the PDP governorship candidate for the upcoming Anambra election, which had been jointly signed by the National Secretary and Acting National Chairman, was later disowned through a rebuttal by the National Publicity Secretary acting on the orders of Makinde and Mbah,” he alleged.
He cited the aborted North-Central zonal congress in Jos, scheduled for May 24, 2025, as a clear example of the party’s deepening crisis. According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) refused to attend the event because the letter of invitation was signed by an unauthorised official.
“INEC refused to recognise the congress because Senator Anyanwu, the legally acknowledged signatory, was not the one who signed the invitation. This is nothing short of a calculated provocation,” Wike said.
Reaffirming his long-standing commitment to the PDP, Wike stated, “Since 1998, I have served this party with unwavering dedication. Many of the people undermining the party today cannot match my contributions. I helped most of them win their elections without ever demanding personal favours in return.”
Declaring his total withdrawal from the peace process, he said, “I had hoped that trust could be maintained among us, but given their continued betrayal—especially in the ongoing North-Central crisis—I have decided to pull out of all previous agreements. I will fight on until justice prevails.”
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
