Politics

2023: Anxiety Heightens In PDP Over Wike’s ‘Defection Plan’

Published

3 years ago

August 13, 2022

More than two months after the Presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party, the controversies that followed the exercise are yet to die down.

At the center of the controversies is the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike who was defeated at the primaries by the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

Wike, a first time contender at presidential elections polled 237 votes which were, however, not enough to secure him the ticket against Atiku Abubakar who scored 371 out of the 746 valid votes.

A dramatic withdrawal of former ally to Wike, Aminu Tambuwal for Atiku Abubakar was believed to have whittled down the chances of the Rivers State governor at the convention.

Addressing delegates at the convention, Gov. Wike had pledged to support anyone who emerged as winner at the primaries.

In his words, “Today, anybody who emerges here I will support the person to the fullest because I’m a committed party person, because I love this party, because since 1998 I have been in this party.

“I will work for this party, I will not go anywhere, this is my party”.

With the latest crisis within the PDP, Wike appears to have reneged on the promise he made at the convention.

The matter worsened after the presidential candidate of the PDP overlooked Wike and chose Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate.

During his interview on Arise TV, Atiku explained his reasons for his choice of Okowa as running mate.

He noted that he chose whom he believes he can “work with amicably” and somebody that can “deliver”.

The comments of Atiku seemed to have caused more harm than good which led to Gov. Wike’s outburst on his arrival from Spain at the Port Harcourt International Airport where he accused Atiku of telling “lies” during the interview.

Since he lost out in securing the PDP’s presidential ticket and vice presidential candidacy, Gov. Wike had received a large number of visitors at his home in Port Harcourt, including Governors from the ruling All Progressives Congress.

This has fueled speculations that he may be on his way out of the PDP.

Again, his perceived closeness to the presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Tinubu has also given rise to rumours that he may eventually work for the victory of Tinubu against his party’s presidential candidate.

In a recent outburst, a former Wike’s ally and former Rivers South East Senator, Lee Meaba criticized Gov. Wike for lining up a majority of “Tinubu men” for project commissioning in the middle of campaigns.

Meaba said, “In the middle of our campaign, you line up Tinubu’s men, why do you line up Tinubu’s men? In the middle of our campaign, you are highlighting APC and Tinubu above our own candidate”.

At the commissioning of legislative quarters in Port Harcourt on Friday, Gov. Wike boasted that he will perform very well in any political party he finds himself in.

“Take me to the Labour Party, YPP anywhere I will perform,” he said.

Speaking at the event, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, who was the special Guest of Honour made overtures to the Governor to join the APC with certain words that many could interpret as “pregnant”.

In the words of the Speaker, “in politics, there is no permanent friend, there’s no permanent enemy but only permanent interest.

“And this journey that you have started, that you and I know; shall be permanent.”

At the tail end of his speech, the Speaker reiterated his earlier calls by even persuading members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to join Gov. Wike when he makes the move.

He said, “I congratulate the Speaker, Right Honourable Ibani and all the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“I believe that when the governor finally chokes them, the members of the State Assembly will be coming with him to where he is destined to be.

“We await you, your Excellency and very eagerly too. Do not let anybody intimidate you, at the appropriate time you will tell them”.

On Wednesday, at the flag-off of the Illoabuchi-Azikiwe road construction, a former Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko appeared to be begging Governor Wike not to leave the party.

He said, “all well-meaning Nigerians therefore know that we badly need to unite our nation to be able to effectively confront our security and economic challenges.

“Your Excellency, our party, the PDP, a party that you have laboured so much since, saddled with the historical duty of forging this unity, a unity premised on truth, equality and justice, a unity upon which rescuing Nigeria from the unsatisfactory performance of the seven years of the APC will be built. It is a mission that must be accomplished. A mission where you have been specially positioned and favoured to play a major role.

“You have undoubtedly done well for the PDP and I can assure you that the preponderance of PDP leadership and members know your worth.”

After Gov. Wike’s comments on arrival from Spain, the leadership of the PDP set up a meeting between him and Atiku in Abuja.

Subsequently, a reconciliation committee was set between the two parties to find ways of resolving the issues.

DAILY POST also gathered that one of the conditions given by Governor Wike’s camp for peace to reign is the removal of Iyorcha Ayu as the National Chairman of the party, which, however, a chieftain of the PDP, Bouch Nsirim loyal to Gov. Wike dismissed as an insinuation.

Speaking with DAILYPOST Nsirim said, “It is very important to state clearly that Governor Nyesom Wike has not told anybody that he wants the National Chairman of the party to resign, these are insinuations from different quarters”.

Few days after the meeting between Atiku and Wike, it appeared the peace talk may have suffered a setback after Senator Lee Meaba, an ally to the former Vice president, accused Governor Wike of “stopping them from campaigning for Atiku” in Rivers State.

Similarly there have also been feelers that the Atiku camp’s body language is such that it can do without the Rivers State governor for the election.

Bouch Nsirim, however, believes that the PDP cannot do without Governor Wike.

He said, ”anybody that is in the political scene, will know that the governor is an integral part of the PDP.

“It is clearly evident; the effort that he has made to ensure that the party survives.

“He is a major player and a major factor in the politics of Nigeria today.

“Like I have told anyone that cares to know, if you play with Governor Nyesom Wike, you are playing with the vote of Rivers people”.

Answering a question on what Governor Nyesom Wike wants for peace to reign in the party, Nsirim said, “what the Governor wants is mutual respect.

“You know that beyond being the governor of this State and being a participant in the just concluded primaries, the efforts he made in ensuring that the party survived is one that no one can jettison and so for me, I think what is ideal is for the presidential candidate to meet with him and sort out whatever issues”.

With the tone of Governor Wike during the commissioning of the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt on Friday, it appears the peace talks may have broken down.

The latest developments have left more room for assumptions that Gov. Wike may be working for the victory of the APC flagbearer, Bola Tinubu, especially with the very short comments he perhaps unintentionally made during his speech on Friday.

He said, “even the electorates, they are being deceived, “Muslim-Muslim, Christian-Muslim, native doctor-native doctor, is that our problem now?”

Perhaps, the governor quickly caught himself and added, “at the appropriate time, we will talk politics.”

DAILY POST

Politics

Edo PDP Knocks Okpebholo Over ₦2.5b Donation To UBTH

Published

1 day ago

August 27, 2025

Editor

Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the approval of ₦2.5 billion to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital by Governor Monday Okpebholo.

The Governor announced the approval on Tuesday when the new Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Idia Ize-Iyamu, paid a courtesy visit to him in Government House, Benin.

Ize-Iyamu had requested the state government’s assistance in constructing a world-class Paediatric Centre worth N2.5 billion which the governor approved.

However, the PDP, in a statement by its Caretaker Committee Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare said the governor should have invested the money on state-owned hospitals instead of a federal institution.

The statement statement partly reads, “This misadventure is not only reckless but a glaring example of the 2027 election fixation and desperate eye-service politics that has defined Okpebholo’s almost one year in office.

“Edo people are being made to suffer while their resources are squandered on federal facilities that are not the primary responsibility of the state.

“We align with the position of the Association of Resident Doctors under Edo State Government Employment, who have openly decried this misplaced priority. Their statement exposes what Edo people already know, our hospitals are collapsing, yet the Governor prefers to chase cheap popularity.”

The PDP said that Stella Obasanjo Hospital, which was rebuilt with state funds, remained locked with less than a tenth in use, wondering why the ₦2.5 billion was not channelled there.

The statement added, “The Edo Specialist Hospital continues to cry for expansion and adequate support but has been ignored by a government obsessed with pleasing political benefactors and seeking headlines.

“The General Hospital in Abudu is no more than a mere patent medicine store, and yet, ‘₦2.5 billion that belongs to Odogwu is being given to Caesar.”

The PDP also noted that Edo doctors, who only recently suspended their strike, still have their legitimate demands unmet.

“Edo people obviously did not elect a Governor to act as a philanthropist to federal institutions. They elected a leader to fix our hospitals, build capacity, and ensure access to healthcare for all. By neglecting this sacred duty, Okpebholo has shown that he is unprepared, unserious, and out of touch with the realities of Edo citizens.

“We in the PDP demand that this decision be reversed and that urgent attention be given to Edo-owned hospitals which directly serve our people. Edo deserves working hospitals, not political monuments built with eyes on the 2027 elections.

“This is not leadership. This is a reckless waste. And Edo people will not forget,” the statement added.

Efforts to get the government’s response proved futile, as a top official, who pleaded anonymity, said that a response will come on Thursday.

Politics

PDP Zones 2027 Presidential Ticket To South

Published

3 days ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party’s 102nd National Executive Committee meeting has resolved to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South while retaining the existing National Working Committee zoning formula for the November elective convention.

Addressing journalists after the NEC meeting in Abuja on Monday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, disclosed that the decision followed the presentation of a report by the Zoning Committee chaired by Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri.

Recall that during the 2023 elections, the PDP threw its presidential ticket open, leading to the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its candidate.

However, some southern leaders, led by then Rivers State Governor and now FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, opposed him over what they saw as an unfair power-sharing arrangement for the South.

In the end, the PDP candidate lost to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.

After declaring the zoning arrangement, Ologunagba added that the NEC also expressed satisfaction over the level of preparedness of the PDP’s various organs, Chapters and structures for the 2025 Elective National Convention scheduled for Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital on Saturday 15th to Sunday 16th November 2025.

Ologunagba, while reading the 102nd NEC communiqué, said the meeting commended the efforts of PDP governors, Board of Trustees, NWC, National Assembly caucus, and other party organs toward the success of the 2025 National Convention.

The communique read in part, “NEC received and after extensive deliberation approved the report of the National Convention Zoning Committee which recommended that all PDP National Office positions currently in the Northern Region of the country remain in the Northern Region.

“That all PDP National Office positions currently in the Southern Region of the country remain in the Southern Region.

“That having retained the position of the National Chairman in the Northern Region of the country, the Presidential Candidate of the Party for the 2027 General Election is hereby zoned to the Southern Region.

“That the Regions should immediately micro-zone positions within its Region for implementation.

“NEC also received an update from the PDP Constitution Amendment Committee and directed the Committee to circulate the Draft Constitution Amendment to various Organs and Chapters of the Party for further inputs.”

Ologunagba said NEC confirmed Umar Damagum as substantive National Chairman, effective Monday, August 25, 2025, in recognition of his role in stabilising the party, pending the National Convention.

He continued, “NEC condemns the resort by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to State Capture through state-backed intimidation, manipulation, inducement, coercion and violence against Nigerians as witnessed in APC’s muzzling of the recent bye-elections in parts of the country.

“NEC particularly expressed dismay and condemned the militarisation of the recent bye-elections especially in Kaduna and Taraba States as well as Zamfara State where excessive security agencies were deployed in the conduct of the run-off election in only five Polling Units in Kaura Namoda South State Constituency.

“NEC declares that this action by the APC is a confirmation of the APC’s desire to turn our country into a totalitarian One-Party State which is a clear and present danger to democracy and the corporate existence of our country.

“NEC reassures Nigerians of PDP’s commitment to Democracy and the defense of the interest and well-being of all citizens as we work hard to further reposition our Party to regain power in 2027.”

Politics

Why APC Candidates Contested 2023 LG Election Despite Intimidation — State Chairman

Published

3 days ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Edo State Chairman
of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarret Tenebe, has explained why his party did not boycott the 2023 local government council election in the state despite intimidation and obvious efforts to compromise the exercise by the then government.

He said the party allowed its candidates to contest the local government election in order to gather momentum for the governorship election which was some months away as at then.

Tenebe spoke on Monday when he received the chairmanship candidates of the APC in that election at the party secretariat, Benin City, where he assured them that their labour would not be in vain.

He commended them for their determination, confidence and belief in the party despite being in an opposition at that time contesting against an incumbent government led by former governor Godwin Obaseki.

Tenebe said “People never believed that APC should contest that election but I believed that we should enable us to gather momentum for the governorship election which was coming then.

“Consultations began with party leaders and we all later agreed that the party should contest that election which was keenly contested.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under Godwin Obaseki wrote the results of that election.

“You people did your best in the election and campaigned vigorously for senator Monday Okpebholo to win the governorship election in the state.

“You work hard to ensure APC win the governorship election as that is the only way your stolen mandate will be returned.

“The party will stand with you and not allow your labour to be in vain. The party will not allow you to work alone as the party will work with you. The governor is very much aware of your support”.

Speaking on behalf of the candidates, Enahoro Aikpokpo said they contested at a very difficult time to keep the party alive despite the intimidation and challenges they faced.

He called on the party to consider them and give them the right of first refusal as they are interested in the forthcoming local government election in the states.