PDP Crisis Worsens As Wike Pulls Out Of Party’s Reconciliation Deal, Blames Makinde
….says he has been working for PDP tirelessly since 1998
…Party shifts NEC meeting
….Saraki panel continues peace talks
The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) worsened on Sunday as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, pulled out of all reconciliation agreements previously reached within the opposition party.
Wike blamed Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, for the problems rocking PDP, warning that “non-adherence to agreements reached was the bane of the party, and that he was the chief culprit of this anomaly.”
In a statement he personally signed, the former Rivers governor accused key party leaders, including Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, of betrayal, dishonesty, and serial violations of mutual understandings.
While tracing the roots of the PDP’s internal turmoil to the aftermath of the 2023 general elections, the minister pledged to “fight on until justice is attained.”
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State and a key member of the influential G5 group, accused Makinde of sabotaging reconciliation efforts.
“I made it clear to the Governor of Oyo State, HE, Seyi Makinde, that he was the architect of our problems, pointing out to him that non-adherence to agreements reached was the bane of the party, and that he was the chief culprit of this anomaly,” Wike stated.
See the full statement below:
PDP CRISIS: MY POSITION
1. 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 with a view to stabilizing the party and moving it forward.
2. 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, pointing out to him that non-adherence to agreements reached was the bane of the party, and that he was the chief culprit of this anomaly. At the end of the meeting, we resolved to bury the hatchet and make progress.
3. As a follow-up to the aforementioned meeting, there was an expanded meeting in Abuja involving HE. Seyi Makinde, HE. Umaru Fintri, HE. Bala Mohammed, HE, Bukola Saraki, and I in Saraki’s guest house. 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. Tensions rose mightily in the meeting and it took all concerned to calm frayed nerves. At the end of the meeting, we came to some resolutions, including:
a. That Senator Samuel Anyanwu remains the National Secretary of the PDP in tandem with the Supreme Court judgement.
b. All legal matters relating to Rivers State must be withdrawn by the National Legal Adviser.
c. The suit on the State of emergency be withdrawn forthwith.
d. Nobody should deviate from the agreements so reached.In the light of the foregoing, they pleaded with me to attend the stakeholders’ meeting at the Bauchi Government Lodge, regardless of my many engagements. I attended the meeting and clearly reiterated my earlier concerns, and to this end and in order to resolve all other lingering and pending issues, a committee was formed, headed by HE. Bukola Saraki.
4. 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. To my chagrin, Seyi 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 can not hold.
Again, Seyi Makinde 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. Furthermore, the letter confirming the candidacy of the Governorship candidate of the party in the forthcoming Governorship elections in Anambra State, duly signed by the National Secretary, Senator Anyanwu and the acting National Chairman, was portrayed as rejected by the party through a rebuttal letter signed by the National Publicity Secretary, acting on the orders of Seyi Makinde and Peter Mba. All these actions are in complete violation of the agreements reached and would not do the party any good whatsoever. On the 24th of May 2025, in Jos, for instance, a well publicized 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 of the party. INEC refused to attend because the proper signatory recognized by law, that is Senator Samuel Anyanwu was not a signatory to the invitation notice. This is undeniably distasteful, provocative and annoying, to say the least.
5. I have painstakingly put out all these facts so that PDP members and the general public would know the truth. I have been in this party since 1998 and have worked tirelessly for the survival of this party with all my strength and it is on record that none of these persons have done anything close to what I have done to sustain this party. What is more painful is that I contributed substantially to most of these governors winning their elections, yet I have not made any personal demands on any of them and I would never do so.
Most importantly, I had thought that we could keep the trust amongst us, but since it is now obvious that they would continue to play games to the detriment of the party, as is the case in the current debacle in the North-Central zonal elections, I have now firmly decided to pull out of all agreements hitherto reached. I have decided to fight on until justice is attained.
Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON
Minister, Federal Capital Territory
May 25, 2025
Party shifts NEC meeting as Saraki panel continues peace talks
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has postponed its 99th National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting.
The NEC meeting was scheduled to be held on May 27, 2025, at the PDP’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
However, the NEC was postponed to allow room for the former Senate President Bukola Saraki-led reconciliation committee to carry out its assignment.
A notice tagged: “Postponement of the 99th NEC Meeting,” signed by PDP’s National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, said a new date will be scheduled.
The notice reads:
“The above subject refers. This is to formally inform leaders and members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of our great party that the proposed NEC meeting earlier announced to take place on May 27, 2025, has been postponed.
“The postponement is to allow the Sen. Bukola Saraki’s Reconciliation Committee to complete its assignment of resolving some internal conflicts necessary to have a peaceful NEC meeting.
“Accordingly, a new date will be formally announced in accordance with the PDP Constitution 2017 as amended and the Electoral Act, 2022.
“Therefore, any notice of NEC meeting or publication signed by the Deputy National Secretary in the guise of Acting National Secretary is illegal, unauthorized, and should be disregarded.
“All inconveniences resulting from this change of date are regretted. Please accept the assurances of my esteemed regards.”
This comes as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, withdrew from all agreements with the party leadership meant to end the crisis.
Wike, who claimed to have been fighting for PDP’s survival since 1998, accused some party leaders of flaming the crisis, hence his decision to withdraw from all agreements.
