PDP: Wike’s camp demands ignite fresh PDP feud

The PDP National Elective Convention, which is set for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State, will go ahead in spite of the demands made by the camp of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, according to governors elected on the Peoples Democratic Party platform, Umar Damagum, the party’s national chairman, and other leaders.

The PDP Governors’ Forum Chairman and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, spoke on behalf of the governors in Abuja on Tuesday at the inauguration of the 119-member National Convention Planning Committee, which was presided over by Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri. He said the governors are not cowards.

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In a direct response to Wike’s camp’s Monday night speech, the governors also promised to discipline individuals who were undermining the party’s interests. They insisted that the PDP would not submit to conceit and impunity, or what they called a “faction of fools.”

Similarly, Adolphus Wabara, the chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, underlined that both northern and southern leaders are allowed to microzone party posts while also emphasising that interested members have an equal opportunity to run. Wabara was represented by Secretary Ahmed Makarfi and other party leaders.

In an attempt to reposition the party after enduring a protracted internal crisis, the PDP planned its November convention to pick new members of the National Working Committee.

Leaders are urging the convention to go forward as scheduled, but Wike and some of his supporters have persisted in trying to put the exercise on hold because of disagreements over the South-East and South-South zonal leadership.

The Eminent Leaders and Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP, a group of PDP members loyal to the FCT minister, issued a warning Monday that the party’s next national convention in November would be “invalid” if their resolutions were not carried out.

Following the nearly three-hour meeting, a communiqué was issued and read by Samuel Ortom, the former Governor of Benue State.

He referred to the members’ “shared dedication to the values of justice, equity, inclusivity, and the rule of law” as “the pillars upon which the PDP was established and on which its continued existence stands.”

Wike’s camp stated that although it was happy with the party’s zoning plans that the NEC had approved, the National Working Committee needed to make sure that microzoning was prohibited “for peace and stability within the party.”

According to the 2021 convention’s zoning criteria, they also stated that the national party chairman position should continue to be located in the North-Central.

“That on zoning of party offices: Whereas, we agree with the zoning committee’s recommendations, which were adopted by the NEC, that the status quo remains, we further and very strongly hold that there should be no form of micro-zoning for peace and stability within the party.”

“Consequently, the National Chairman of the party should remain in the North-Central in line with the zoning formula of the 2021 convention,” the communique read.

In accordance with court rulings, the Wike-led stakeholders also demanded that the National Working Committee hold new congresses in Ebonyi, Anambra, and the South-East zone. They also stated that the results of the South-South Congress, which was held in Calabar, Cross River State, should be respected, and that the local government congress in Ekiti State be held right away.

“We call on the National Working Committee to urgently conduct fresh, transparent, and inclusive congresses in Ebonyi and Anambra States, in line with judgments of the courts.

“That a fresh and legitimate South-East Zonal Congress should be conducted; That the outcome of the valid and legitimate South-South Congress held in Calabar, Cross River State and recognised by the court be respected.

“That the Ekiti State Local Government Areas Congress should be conducted immediately, in obedience to the subsisting court judgement,” they added.

If the demands and resolutions are not met, the organisation strongly threatened that “any purported national convention shall render any purported national convention invalid, as legitimate members of the party would be disenfranchised.”

The PDP’s leadership roles must continue to be “open, inclusive, and competitive, while ensuring regional equity in accordance with the PDP’s longstanding traditions,” according to Wike’s committee.

According to the stakeholders, the largest opposition party is currently at “a defining crossroads,” where its future importance will be determined by its capacity to maintain justice, resolve internal conflicts, and respect constitutional procedures.

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The group further cautioned that “unity cannot be built on disenfranchisement, exclusion, or the neglect of valid judicial pronouncements,” stressing that a credible national convention must be anchored on “transparency, fairness, and respect for the rule of law as well as inclusivity.”