A familiar wound reopens inside the opposition
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tony Ehilebo, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of being the central figure behind the party’s lingering crisis, arguing that unresolved grievances from the 2022 presidential primary continue to fracture the opposition.
Ehilebo made the allegation during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, claiming Wike remained aggrieved after losing the PDP presidential ticket to Atiku Abubakar, and subsequently worked against the party during the 2023 general election.
“I want to speak directly to the FCT minister because he is the root of this whole issue,” Ehilebo said, alleging that Wike’s political actions fell below the standards expected of a senior party leader.
Old grievances, new consequences
According to Ehilebo, the bitterness from the 2022 primary has lingered longer than expected, weakening the PDP’s ability to act as a coherent opposition force. He warned that history would judge the party’s internal implosion harshly, particularly if senior figures failed to place institutional stability above personal grievances.
The PDP crisis dates back to the aftermath of the 2022 presidential primary, when Atiku defeated Wike and other aspirants. Wike, then governor of Rivers State, argued that the party’s presidential ticket should have been zoned to southern Nigeria, rather than awarded to a northern candidate.
Efforts at reconciliation among aggrieved party leaders failed, culminating in the emergence of the so-called G-5 governors, who openly opposed the PDP’s presidential campaign and backed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 election.
Defections, influence, and contested loyalty
Ehilebo further alleged that Wike’s dominance within party structures contributed to high-profile exits from the PDP, including those of Peter Obi and Minister of Works Dave Umahi.
“Wike, they said, had control of Anambra PDP. Peter didn’t even have a say in his own state,” he claimed, arguing that excessive concentration of power alienated key stakeholders and weakened internal democracy.
Despite his appointment as FCT minister by President Bola Tinubu, Wike has repeatedly insisted that he remains a member of the PDP, even after a faction of party leaders announced his expulsion during a disputed convention last year—an event he dismissed as a “jamboree.”
As the opposition clock ticks toward 2027
The renewed accusations arrive at a critical moment for Nigeria’s opposition landscape. With the 2027 elections approaching, unresolved leadership disputes within the PDP raise broader questions about whether the party can present a credible, united alternative to the ruling APC. The allegations also intersect with ongoing legal and factional battles that continue to test the party’s institutional resilience.
What this crisis could cost the PDP
Beyond personalities, the prolonged PDP crisis risks eroding voter confidence in opposition politics itself. Analysts warn that without genuine reconciliation and structural reform, internal fragmentation could leave the party trapped in perpetual litigation, defections, and credibility loss—outcomes that may shape Nigeria’s political balance well before ballots are cast in 2027.
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