Wike Abandons PDP Peace Deals, Accuses Governors of Betrayal
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has dramatically withdrawn from all reconciliation agreements within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accusing key party leaders of systematic dishonesty and breach of trust.
The immediate past Governor of Rivers State announced in a statement made available to journalists, titled “PDP Crisis: My Position,” where he detailed failed attempts to resolve the party’s ongoing internal conflicts since the 2023 general elections.
Wike painted a picture of a party in turmoil, describing how the PDP has been struggling with fundamental trust issues among its leadership.
“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,” he stated.
The FCT Minister explained that various meetings had been organised to address these challenges and restore stability to the opposition party.
According to Wike, tensions first came to a head during a G5 governors’ meeting in Lagos, where he directly confronted Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.
“In that meeting, I made it clear to the Governor of Oyo State, H.E. 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 revealed.
Despite the heated exchange, he noted that the meeting concluded with a resolution to “bury the hatchet and make progress.”
The reconciliation efforts continued with an expanded meeting in Abuja at Senator Bukola Saraki’s guest house, involving Governors Makinde, Umaru Fintiri, and Bala Mohammed, along with Saraki himself.
During this gathering, Wike addressed his concerns with Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, stating:
“I made it clear that I had no personal problems with H.E. Bala Mohammed, except that he hides under the façade of Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum to renege on agreements serially.”
The meeting produced several key resolutions, including maintaining Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary in line with the Supreme Court judgment, withdrawing all legal matters related to Rivers State, and ensuring adherence to agreed terms.
However, Wike expressed disappointment that these agreements were quickly violated, even before formal reconciliation work could begin.
“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,” he lamented.
He specifically accused Governor Makinde of orchestrating moves to undermine the agreed National Secretary position and organising resistance within the party secretariat.
The internal conflicts have had practical consequences for the party’s operations. Wike highlighted how a North-Central zonal congress in Jos was disrupted due to these leadership disputes.
“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 of the party,” he explained.
The electoral commission refused to participate because the legally recognised signatory, Senator Anyanwu, had not signed the invitation.
Reflecting on his long-standing commitment to the party, Wike emphasised his decades of service and support for fellow party members.
“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,” he stated.
He added:
“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.”
Citing continued “games” being played to the party’s detriment, Wike announced his decision to withdraw from all previous agreements completely.
“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,” he declared.
The statement concluded with a combative promise:
“I have decided to fight on until justice is attained.”
This development marks a significant escalation in the PDP’s internal crisis, potentially deepening divisions within Nigeria’s main opposition party as it struggles to present a united front ahead of future electoral challenges.
