Party leaders insist PDP remains Nigeria’s only viable alternative
By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
Gusau, Zamfara State – August 23, 2025
Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have thrown down the gauntlet to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, warning him and other dissenting voices against attempts to derail the party’s forthcoming national convention slated for November 15, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The Merit Newspaper reports that in a communiqué issued at the end of their 7th meeting in Gusau, Zamfara State, on Saturday, the PDP Governors’ Forum reaffirmed their support for the resolutions of the party’s 101st National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in July. The Forum, chaired by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, urged members to resist what it described as “anti-party forces” bent on truncating the convention.
“The Forum reaffirms its full commitment to the resolutions of the 101st NEC meeting of July 2025 regarding the November 15 national convention. It urges members to resist all attempts to derail the convention but to see the PDP as the only democratic institution and viable alternative for restoring Nigeria along the path of good governance and national development,” the communiqué partly read.
The governors also deliberated on insecurity, economic hardship, and the erosion of democratic values under the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that the PDP remained the only credible vehicle for national recovery.
Wike’s Long-Running Rebellion
Saturday’s warning marks the latest chapter in the PDP’s simmering internal crisis, much of which has been linked to Wike’s frequent clashes with the party’s national leadership.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State and once a pillar of the PDP, has openly rejected key decisions leading up to the Ibadan convention. On August 19, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, he declared that the party risked another round of crisis if it failed to recognise the zonal congress in Calabar, which produced his ally, Chief Dan Orbih, as the National Vice Chairman (South-South).
“Our congress was held in Calabar, and there’s nothing anybody can tell us. If they want to have another round of crisis, so be it. The National Vice Chairman of PDP South-South is Chief Dan Orbih. If they disagree, that’s another round of crisis,” Wike stated.
The FCT Minister also dismissed the legitimacy of the zoning committee headed by Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri, fueling suspicions within the party that his involvement in President Bola Tinubu’s APC-led federal government has blurred his loyalties.
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Fractured Alliances
Wike’s stance has not only widened his rift with the PDP leadership but also strained his relationship with former allies. His once-solid alliance with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde—part of the influential G5 bloc that revolted against the PDP presidential candidate in 2023—has collapsed. Party insiders now accuse Wike of pursuing an agenda that undermines the PDP from within while strengthening his influence in the APC-led government.
Despite these tensions, the PDP governors insist the convention in Ibadan will proceed as planned. They argue that the party’s grassroots appeal remains intact despite orchestrated defections and distractions.
“The public’s yearning for affordable living and relative security, as experienced under PDP-led administrations, cannot be diminished by individual ambitions or internal squabbles,” the governors said.
The Bigger Battle Ahead
The November 15 convention is expected to be a crucial test of the PDP’s unity and its ability to reposition itself as a formidable opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections. Analysts believe Wike’s continuing defiance poses one of the greatest threats to that goal, especially given his history of mobilising dissent and resources.
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Still, the PDP governors appear undeterred. Their message from Gusau was clear: the party will not allow its convention—and by extension its future—to be dictated by one man.
