The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may be heading into another storm as internal disputes surrounding recent congresses threaten to derail preparations for its upcoming national convention scheduled for November 14 in Ibadan.
Disagreements have erupted following the completion of ward, local government, and zonal congresses — which produced delegates for the upcoming convention. Prominent among the voices stirring controversy is Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who has questioned the credibility of the Southeast zonal election and fiercely defended the Southsouth congress outcome.
At the centre of the storm is the election of Chief Dan Orbih as National Vice Chairman (Southsouth), a result some PDP leaders claim lacks legitimacy. Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum has refused to recognise the Southsouth congress held in Calabar in March, citing non-support from the zonal governors.
Wike, however, rejected Damagum’s position, warning that any attempt to invalidate the Southsouth congress would ignite a fresh crisis within the party.
Speaking during his monthly media chat in Abuja, Wike also denounced the Southeast congress that saw Ali Odefa emerge as National Vice Chairman, arguing that a court ruling had already disqualified Odefa from PDP membership.
“The Southsouth zonal congress must stand. Dan Orbih is our National Vice Chairman, and there is no going back,” Wike declared. “If they want another round of crisis, then let them attempt to overturn that outcome.”
Wike further accused PDP’s national leadership of acting with impunity, a trend he claims he has resisted for years. He took aim at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other recent defectors to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing them as “buccaneers and vampires.”
He said: “If I had left PDP, they would still be here, taking advantage. But I stayed back to ensure the right thing is done.”
Wike also claimed Atiku’s obsession with clinching a presidential ticket pushed him to jump from party to party.
“In every political season, he forms coalitions not for ideological reasons but to pursue his ambition,” Wike alleged. “He has moved from PDP to AC, then back, then to APC, then PDP again, and now ADC. It’s a cycle driven by his personal ambition.”
The FCT Minister also revealed that he and others within the PDP rejected moves to make former Senate President David Mark the party’s National Chairman, citing a lack of reformative impact during Mark’s time in power.
Meanwhile, the PDP has released a comprehensive schedule of activities for the 2025 National Convention. National Organising Secretary Umar Bature disclosed that several key meetings, including those of the National Caucus, the Board of Trustees (BoT), and the National Executive Committee (NEC), will be held in August to finalise zoning arrangements and other pre-convention logistics.
From September 3 to 22, the PDP will sell nomination and expression of interest forms to aspirants. Screening and appeals will follow, culminating in the release of the final list of cleared candidates by October 10.
As the countdown to the convention begins, party leaders are under pressure to resolve the controversies surrounding zonal congresses and avoid plunging the PDP into deeper internal discord.
