How PDP Failed To Sanction Wike over anti-party

By Our Correspondent

Contrary to expectations that the PDP would sanction the immediate past governor of Rivers State and current Minister of the FCT, Mr. Nyesom Wike for alleged anti-party activities in the last general election, the 98th National Executive Committee, NEC, which met last Thursday was silent on the matter. The State Chairmen of the party had been directed by the National Organising Secretary of the Party, Umar Bature to compile and submit a list of members who engaged in anti-party activities but an impeccable source who attended the NEC meeting informed journalists that no such list was submitted.

Giving the directive during a meeting with State Chairmen of the party ahead of the NEC meeting, Bature said, “After the elections, we expected the State chapters to give us their reports, that is the post-2023 election reports. A lot of the states have not submitted their reports and we need those reports to be compiled for the next NEC meeting. 

“A lot of agitations are coming from party members, suspend this, suspend that, you are the ones that are in charge of those States. You are to tell us who was involved in anti-party activities and who did not; and based on that, the NEC will take a decision. Write to us and tell us what transpired, no matter what happened.”

Surprisingly, rather than discuss the issue of anti-party activities, the NEC set up a disciplinary committee headed by former governor of Akwa Ibom State Emmanuel Udom and another peace committee led by former Senate President Buukola Saraki.  

Both Nyesom Wike and Atiku Abubakar attended the meeting and sources told journalists that both men at the centre of the drama did not utter any word during the meeting. 

Mr. Nyesom Wike had switched his support from the PDP Presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to the APC Presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu who eventually won the election, after he failed to clinch the PDP presidential ticket and did not emerge as Atiku Abubakar’s running mate. Wike had led four other PDP governors, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State in what became known as the G5 PDP Governors to pull the rug from under Atiku Abubakar’s feet. 

Following the victory of the APC, the current President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Mr. Nyesom Wike to the position of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT for his support during the election and he serves as a PDP man in an APC government which made expectations for his sanction more pronounced. 

The PDP has been embroiled in a series of controversies since 2022 leading up to the last general election. Prior consultations within the PDP caucus had tipped the South East for the Presidency and Atiku Abubakar respected that decision but Nyesom Wike who is one of the major financiers of the party objected to that and insisted that the ticket be thrown open to all parts of the country. That decision paved the way for Atiku Abubakar to step into the contest and he roundly defeated Nyesom Wike who came a distant second position considering the number of votes he polled to Atiku’s. 

Trouble started when Wike failed to secure the position of running mate to Atiku Abubakar and heightened when the then National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu refused to step down from his position following Wike’s insistence that the presidential candidate and the National Chairman of the party must not come from the North. A further twist was added to the political rancour when following Ayu’s ouster by the court, Umar Damagun, former Deputy National Chairman (North) from the North East zone assumed the position of acting National Chairman, with the North Central zone of the PDP kicking against the arrangement and insisting that someone from the North Central should have replaced Ayu to enable the zone to complete its tenure. Scores of protesters, ostensibly from the North Central were seen in the premises of the PDP head office, venue of the 98th NEC meeting calling for the resignation of Umar Damagun to enable someone from the North Central to assume that position.   

Surprisingly, both the NWC and the NEC voiced their unalloyed support to Umar Damagun. Addressing reporters after the National Caucus meeting,  the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said that Umar Damagum would remain in his role as acting National Chairman until the next NEC meeting following the current session. “The caucus did not deliberate on this matter because there are numerous complexities regarding leadership at this time. Therefore, this matter was deferred to the upcoming NEC meeting. The issues presented by the NWC were discussed by the caucus. Umar Damagum will remain the acting National Chairman of the party until the subsequent NEC meeting.”

Furthermore he said, “The party has recognised the importance of conducting further consultations on that matter. Our priority is maintaining party unity, as we navigate through these issues without causing division. We are committed to following our constitution and any succession plan that aligns with our current circumstances, including ongoing court processes. Our aim is to take actions that promote unity and are in accordance with our constitution.”

Following the decision of the NEC, the North Central remains resolute in seeking a replacement of Umar Damagun from their zone following Ayu’s removal. 

As the crisis in the PDP persists, political watchers are keen to know how it would be resolved, especially as Wike continues to serve in the APC government and how the PDP hopes to regroup among the various factions and mobilise to face the battle of 2027 which has already started. The G5 Governors who attended the meeting were seen frolicking with Wike even as only two of them have positions in government now, Nyesom Wike as FCT Minister and Seyi Makinde who returned to office for a second term as governor of Oyo state. Political watchers have also questioned the political value of the G5 as three members of the group, Samuel Ortom of Benue, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia all lost their Senatorial bids in the last election.  

Again, the inability of the PDP to sanction Wike seems to provide a painful fact, if Nigerians were still in doubt, that Wike still controls the soul of the PDP, as many of the PDP governors, many PDP members of the National Assembly, members of the party’s NWC and NEC are still loyal to him. The big question is whether Wike’s stranglehold on the PDP, acting as an agent provocateur would cause the eventual collapse of the party that prides itself as the Last Man Standing in the Nigerian Political Party Class of 1998 and Africa’s largest political party.