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Wike Blames Makinde for PDP Crises, Pulls Out of Peace Deal
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has pulled out of all reconciliation agreements previously reached within the Peoples Democratic Party, accusing key party leaders of betrayal, dishonesty, and serial violations of mutual understandings.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Wike traced the roots of the PDP’s internal turmoil to the aftermath of the 2023 general elections, lamenting what he described as a steady decline into “dishonesty and lack of trust amongst its key stakeholders.”
“Since after the 2023 General Election, the PDP has been wantonly swinging from one part of a slippery precipice to another,” Wike said, noting that several efforts had been made to “arrest this pernicious virus of dishonesty and treachery.”
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State and a key member of the influential G5 group, blamed Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State for sabotaging reconciliation efforts, accusing him of being the “architect of our problems.”
“I made it clear to the Governor of Oyo State, HE, 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 stated.
He disclosed that during a G5 meeting in Lagos, the governors had resolved to bury the hatchet and move forward.
This was followed by a broader meeting in Abuja at Senator Bukola Saraki’s guest house, involving other top PDP figures including Governors Bala Mohammed, Umaru Fintiri, and Makinde, alongside Saraki himself.
But Wike said the resolutions were quickly and brazenly violated, even before the Saraki-led reconciliation committee could begin its work.
“To my chagrin, Seyi Makinde had connived with Peter Mba of Enugu State to orchestrate the summoning of the meeting of so-called South-East leaders to recommend that if Ude Okoye was not adopted as Secretary, they would pull out of the PDP,” he alleged.
Wike also accused party officials of attempting to sideline Anyanwu by presenting the Deputy National Secretary as acting National Secretary, and using a letter from him to call for a National Executive Committee meeting, moves Wike said were “in complete violation of the agreements reached.”
He cited an incident on May 24, 2025, in Jos, where a PDP zonal elective congress was aborted because INEC refused to attend.
The reason, he said, was because the letter of invitation was signed by the Deputy National Secretary, not the duly recognised National Secretary.
“This is undeniably distasteful, provocative and annoying, to say the least,” Wike declared.
Reflecting on his long association with the PDP since 1998, Wike expressed dismay that those he helped rise to political prominence had turned against him.
“It is on record that none of these persons have done anything close to what I have done to sustain this party.
“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,” he said.
Declaring a turning point, Wike said he had lost faith in the trust and camaraderie that once existed among party stakeholders and would no longer participate in any further reconciliation deals.
“I have now firmly decided to pull out of all agreements hitherto reached. I have decided to fight on until justice is attained,” the FCT minister concluded.
The PDP has yet to issue an official response to Wike’s latest position as of the time of filing this report.
Makinde and Mba have yet to respond to the minister’s statement.
The Supreme Court has vacated the order of the Court of Appeal which barred the recognition of David Mark as the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
The apex court on Thursday held that the preservative order by the Court of Appeal was in bad faith, unnecessary, unwarranted and improper.
In a unanimous judgment of the Supreme Court, Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba held that the Court of Appeal ought not to have made such order because it was not sought by any of the parties in the matter.
The Court of Appeal had issued an order of status quo antem bellum upon which the ADC exco under David Mark was de-recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
With the vacation of the order, David Mark and the other national officers are to be recognized as ADC leaders by the electoral body.
The convention produced the Tanimu Turaki-led factional national executives of the party.
Attention has shifted to the Supreme Court, which has fixed April 30 (today) for judgment in the leadership tussle within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
A five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba will resolve the appeal filed by the David Mark-led faction concerning the authentic leadership of the party.
Also on Thursday, the court is expected to determine the leadership dispute rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Two PDP factions—one led by Kabir Turaki and the other by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike—are laying claim to the leadership of the party.
The Supreme Court had on April 22 reserved judgment in the ADC crisis to a date to be communicated to the parties involved in the tussle.
However, on Tuesday, the ADC formally wrote to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, pleading for the quick delivery of judgment in the leadership tussle at the national level.
The party claimed it would suffer irreparable harm if judgment in the protracted battle was not delivered within the period allowed by the Electoral Act for fielding candidates for the 2027 general elections.
It stated in part: “Without the delivery of judgment within the next three days from the date of this letter, the ADC stands the grave and irreversible risk of being excluded from participating in the 2027 general elections.
“This would disenfranchise millions of Nigerians who have subscribed to the ideals of the ADC and deny them their constitutional right to freely associate and contest elections through a political party of their choice.”
At the April 22 hearing, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, who represented David Mark, urged the Supreme Court to allow the appeal, arguing that the apex court had earlier, on March 21, 2025, held that “no court has jurisdiction to entertain matters bordering on the internal affairs of political parties.”
During the hearing, Okutepa urged the apex court to hold that the Federal High Court in Abuja lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit.
However, Robert Emukperu, SAN, who represented the first respondent, Nafiu Gombe, urged the court to dismiss the appeal and affirm the judgment of the lower court, which held that the suit was premature.
It will be recalled that a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal dismissed Mark’s appeal, ruling that it was premature and filed without leave of the trial court.
In the PDP matter, the first appeal, marked SC/CV/164/2026, stems from a decision of Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, who restrained the party from proceeding with its planned convention pending the determination of a suit filed by former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido.
On November 14, the court issued a final order restraining the PDP from conducting its national convention.
Justice Lifu held that Lamido was “unjustly denied” the opportunity to obtain a nomination form to contest for national chairman, in violation of the PDP constitution and internal regulations.
The Court of Appeal later upheld the decision on March 9, prompting the PDP to appeal.
The second appeal, SC/CV/166/2026, was filed by the PDP, its National Working Committee (NWC), and National Executive Committee (NEC).
It arose from a judgment delivered by Justice James Omotosho, which stopped the party from holding its Ibadan national convention.
The Court of Appeal upheld that decision, agreeing that INEC should not validate the outcome of the convention.
After hearing all arguments, the Supreme Court reserved judgment, stating that the date would be communicated to the parties.
