PDP Crisis: Makinde and Wike Camps Schedule Parallel NEC Meetings in Abuja Ahead of Showdown
The crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) intensified on Monday as rival factions loyal to Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, scheduled parallel National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings for today (Tuesday) at the party’s national secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja.
Naija News reports that the latest confrontation follows Saturday’s disputed national convention in Ibadan, which produced a new National Working Committee (NWC) and saw several top allies of Wike expelled from the party.
Despite their announced expulsion, Wike’s loyalists released a notice convening an emergency NEC and Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting at the party headquarters.
The notice, signed by former National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, invited members to a BoT meeting at 11 am and a NEC meeting at 2 pm, insisting the sessions were mandatory and would address “crucial matters.”
Titled “Invitation to Emergency 103rd National Executive Committee Meeting,” the communication directly challenged the legitimacy of the Turaki-led NWC.
Turaki Alerts Police, Says ‘Expelled Members Have No Legitimacy’
Newly elected National Chairman, Tanimu Turaki, led members of his NWC to the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force on Monday, warning of an alleged plot by Anyanwu’s group to disrupt party activities forcibly.
“We came to interface with the Commissioner of Police of the FCT regarding the meeting we plan to have tomorrow. It will be the inaugural meeting of our National Working Committee,” he said.
Turaki stressed that those purporting to act in the name of the party after their expulsion in Ibadan were “no longer members.”
“Next to God, the national convention is the highest authority of a political party. Those expelled are no longer members of our party. We’ve reported their moves because we do not want any breach of peace,” he added.
He vowed to personally lead the NWC into the secretariat today, warning that any rival faction attempting to use the premises would be treated as “interlopers.”
Following his return from the police headquarters, the Turaki-led NWC issued its own notice inviting stakeholders to an emergency meeting at the same venue.
Meanwhile, Umar Bature, recently expelled as National Organising Secretary, told Punch that he would attend the Anyanwu-convened meeting, describing it as a session on “the state of the party” and dismissing his expulsion as irrelevant.
But PDP elder statesman, Bode George, dismissed the parallel NEC and BoT meetings as illegal.
“He (Anyanwu) has been expelled. He is trying to create a parallel organ. He should wake up and go to his village,” George said.
A key Makinde ally, however, countered that Turaki lacked the legitimacy to take control of the secretariat.
“Only 16 states participated in their so-called convention. You cannot elect national officers with delegates from just 16 states,” the source argued.
The source further alleged that leading figures on both sides, including Makinde, Wike, and George, were guilty of anti-party activities during the 2023 general elections.