Byline: IDNN Politics Desk
The gloves are off in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the opposition party braces for a fierce internal battle ahead of its November national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The camp led by Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike and former governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) issued a six-point ultimatum to the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
Their demands include:
- Fresh congresses in Ebonyi and Anambra, in line with court rulings;
- A new South-East zonal congress;
- Immediate conduct of Ekiti LGA congresses;
- Respect for South-South congresses upheld by courts;
- An end to micro-zoning beyond NEC-approved formula;
- Retention of national chairmanship in the North Central.
The group warned that failure to comply would render the convention invalid.
PDP leadership strikes back
At the inauguration of the Convention Organising Committee in Abuja, the PDP hierarchy — led by National Chairman Umar Damagum, Bauchi governor Bala Mohammed, and Convention Chairman Ahmadu Fintiri — dismissed Wike’s ultimatum as blackmail.
Bala Mohammed was blunt:
“We are not cowards; we are not afraid of anybody. But we cannot keep quiet and allow people to take us to the slaughterhouse. Accommodation does not mean stupidity. Enough is enough.”
Damagum reinforced the defiance, declaring:
“The PDP is not broken, not defeated. We are stronger, more determined, and ready to reclaim the presidency. We will not buckle under pressure.”
He accused the APC of sponsoring internal saboteurs to destabilise the PDP, comparing the current struggle to the party’s resistance against military rule.
Former Kaduna governor Ahmed Makarfi, representing PDP BoT chair Adolphus Wabara, warned that the majority cannot be held hostage by a few.
“A convention is not about 100% agreement. It is about the overwhelming majority. That is what must prevail.”
Fintiri vows credible convention
Adamawa governor and Convention Chairman Ahmadu Fintiri pledged to deliver the “fairest and most credible convention ever,” insisting no amount of pressure would derail the process.
“Nobody will be denied the chance to contest any position. Buy the forms, submit them, and test your popularity before the delegates. That is democracy,” he said.
He cautioned members against washing party linen in the media:
“If you are a party man, settle issues within. We will not allow indiscipline and blackmail to derail this process.”
Wike’s camp digs in
At a late-night meeting in Wike’s Abuja residence, his allies reiterated that only equity, fairness, and judicial compliance can save the PDP from collapse.
“Unity cannot be built on exclusion or neglect of court rulings. Ignoring these resolutions will plunge the PDP into further crisis,” Samuel Ortom declared in a communiqué.
Observers say the showdown represents the fiercest internal struggle since 2023, with the November convention set to determine whether the PDP emerges stronger — or fractures further.
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