- As Saraki-led panel moves to save NEC meeting
BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Governor Nyesom Wike has accused the Oyo and Enugu States’ Governors, Seyi Makinde and Peter Mbah for the renewed crisis within the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Consequently, the planned 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 27, is being threatened by disagreements between the factions loyal to both warring sides.
Showing his discontentment with recent happenings within the PDP, Wike at the weekend announced his withdrawal from the ongoing reconciliation efforts to resolve the PDP crisis.
A statement issued on Sunday, the FCT Minister said it is regrettable that both Makinde and Mbah are the arrow-heads of Party’s refusal to acknowledge his allies, Anyanwu, as Secretary and yield to certain resolutions reached by the concerned stakeholders.
Citing repeated violations, Wike said he was officially backing out of all prior agreements aimed at resolving the PDP’s crisis, alleging that Governor Makinde is the “Chief culprit” behind the party’s troubles.
The former Rivers State Governor, in a personally signed statement on titled “PDP Crisis: My Position,” claimed the PDP has been plagued by “dishonesty and lack of trust amongst its key stakeholders,” vowing to “fight on until justice is attained.”
According to him, “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.
“To stem this ugly trend, efforts have been made to arrest this pernicious virus of dishonesty and treachery and enthrone fidelity to agreements.”
Further drawing attention to a G-5 meeting in Lagos where he directly confronted Governor Makinde over alleged ‘betrayal of trust’, the statement by Wike noted 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.
He said among other resolutions, it was agreed “that Senator Samuel 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Secretary of the PDP in tandem with the Supreme Court judgement, all legal matters relating to Rivers State must be withdrawn by the National Legal Adviser, the suit on the State of emergency be withdrawn forthwith, and nobody should deviate from the agreements so reached.”
Lamentably, he those resolutions were soon violated by the opposing side, adding, “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.”
Specifically, the FCT Minister accused Makinde of working with Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, to undermine the agreement, saying; “Seyi Makinde had connived with Peter Mbah 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.
“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 said this development has led to confusion within the party’s leadership and affected official communications, including a situation where a letter properly signed by the National Secretary and Acting National Chairman confirming a gubernatorial candidate in Anambra was undermined through a rebuttal allegedly ordered by Makinde and Mbah.
“On the 24th of May 2025, in Jos, for instance, a well-publicised and properly attended zonal elective congress of the PDP was aborted because the letter inviting INEC to the congress was signed by the Deputy National Secretary… INEC refused to attend because the proper signatory recognised by law, that is Senator Samuel Anyanwu, was not a signatory to the invitation notice,” Wike said.
While describing the situation as “undeniably distasteful, provocative and annoying”, Wike said his commitment to the party since 1998 has never wavered, unlike those he accuses of “playing games to the detriment of the party.”
“I have now firmly decided to pull out of all agreements hitherto reached. I have decided to fight on until justice is attained,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, insiders sources have expressed fears that the NEC meeting may not hold on Tuesday as planned due to the FCT Minister’s latest stand.
A competent source said hinted on Sunday night, “As of now, with the latest developments, it is uncertain whether the NEC meeting scheduled for Tuesday will hold, adding that the Saraki-led panel had convened an emergency meeting with some party leaders to chart the best way forward.
The source said; “Those expected to attend the meeting, either in person or virtually, include Governors Seyi Makinde, Peter Mbah, Caleb Mutfwang, PDP Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade, among others.
“This meeting is critical, it will determine whether the NEC meeting will proceed, how peaceful it will be if it does, and, by extension, the future of the party.”
