The internal crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continues to escalate, as tensions between factions loyal to former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde now pose a serious threat to the party’s long-awaited 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for May 27, 2025.
On Sunday, Nyesom Wike publicly announced his withdrawal from ongoing reconciliation efforts within the party. In a strongly worded statement, he attributed the worsening crisis to the actions of Governor Seyi Makinde and Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, accusing them of deliberately sabotaging efforts to restore unity within the party. This announcement sent shockwaves through the PDP, particularly as Wike remains a highly influential figure whose political clout spans multiple states and power blocs within the party.
In response to the growing tension and the threat it poses to the upcoming NEC meeting, the PDP’s Board of Trustees (BoT) swiftly convened an emergency meeting in Abuja on Monday. According to insider sources within the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC), there is grave concern that the meeting—already postponed multiple times—could once again be derailed, further damaging the party’s credibility and long-term prospects.
Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the reconciliation committee led by former Senate President Bukola Saraki also convened an emergency session with key stakeholders on Sunday night. The meeting, attended by senior PDP leaders, was aimed at preventing a total breakdown in communication and averting yet another postponement of the crucial NEC meeting.
The PDP has been plagued by intense internal wrangling both before and after the 2023 general elections. The political conflict in Rivers State, in particular, has become emblematic of the broader dysfunction in the party. This has been compounded by unresolved issues surrounding the South South Zonal Congress, disputes over the rightful occupant of the National Secretary position, and most recently, a contentious battle over the North Central Zonal Congress.
These disputes reflect deep-rooted disagreements over leadership, regional representation, and control of the party’s structures. Wike, a former presidential aspirant and now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has expressed frustration that decisions made by the NWC and PDP Governors’ Forum—often influenced by Governors Makinde, Mbah, and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi—have continually undermined his political base and that of his allies.
His stance has been supported by several other influential governors, including Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang and Taraba State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri. These governors believe that recent party decisions are skewed in favor of certain factions, thereby marginalizing other key stakeholders and exacerbating internal divisions.
The PDP’s 98th NEC meeting, held on April 18, 2024, ended without any meaningful resolution to the party’s growing list of disputes. The inability of that meeting to bridge the divides within the party led to further fragmentation, and efforts to schedule the next NEC session have faced repeated obstacles.
Initially, the 99th NEC meeting was slated for August 15, 2024. However, it was subsequently postponed to October 24, then again to November 28, and finally suspended indefinitely due to deepening internal divisions.
By December 2024, amid rising dissatisfaction from party members and public criticism, the PDP Governors’ Forum, chaired by Governor Bala Mohammed, instructed the NWC to ensure the NEC was held by February 2025 at the latest. That directive was again revisited during a Governors’ Forum meeting on January 31, 2025, in Asaba, where March 13 was proposed as the new date.
However, persistent internal frictions led to another postponement on March 8, with May 15 floated as a replacement date. That too fell through after further consultations, prompting the party to eventually settle on May 27, during a crucial meeting of PDP governors in Ibadan on April 11.
In a bid to salvage the situation and preserve what remains of party unity, a seven-member committee composed of serving and former governors was established, with former Senate President Bukola Saraki at its helm. The committee has been tasked with mediating between warring factions, resolving outstanding zoning and leadership disputes, and ensuring the successful convening of the 99th NEC meeting.
However, with Wike’s abrupt withdrawal from reconciliation efforts and open accusations against Makinde and Mbah, the Saraki-led committee faces a formidable challenge. The breakdown of trust among key leaders has made consensus-building difficult, with each faction digging in and accusing the other of betrayal and bad faith.
The future of the PDP hangs precariously in the balance. The continued delays in holding the 99th NEC meeting reflect not just logistical challenges but a deepening crisis of leadership, trust, and party discipline. With national elections still years away, the PDP risks long-term irrelevance if it fails to resolve these internal conflicts and present a united front.
As the May 27 date approaches, all eyes are on the Saraki-led committee and the BoT to navigate the minefield of competing interests, restore confidence in the party’s leadership, and guide the PDP back toward stability and electoral viability. Whether they will succeed remains uncertain—but what is clear is that the stakes have never been higher.