Politics

PDP Crisis: Aggrieved Govs Report Atiku To BoT, List Peace Conditions

Published

4 years ago

October 7, 2022

Fresh details have emerged about the meeting between the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and select members of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Board of Trustees when the latter visited him in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

Acting BoT Chairman, Adolphus Wabara; former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Tanimu Turaki; ex-Kogi State Governor, Ibrahim Idris, and four others were in Port Harcourt earlier in the week in search of peace following a lingering crisis that showed no sign of abating.

However, there are indications that the BoT might advise the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, to resign as all entreaties made to Wike so far have fallen on deaf ears.

Sources told The PUNCH on Thursday that during the meeting, Wike wasted no time in telling his guests how the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, had serially failed to fulfil all the promises he made to the five governors who are insisting on the removal of the party chairman.

A former national officer of the party said Wike, who spoke on behalf of the aggrieved governors, left the PDP BoT members speechless after narrating all that had transpired, including how the PDP standard bearer had disappointed the Southern bloc of the party over and over with many unfulfilled promises.

The PDP chieftain, who served in the Uche Secondus-led executive, told our correspondent that the governor vowed not to have anything to do with the PDP Campaign Council unless the embattled national chairman resigned from office.

Before Atiku selected Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate, Wike was said to have nominated a former governor of a South-South state to serve as the vice-presidential candidate but the party’s standard bearer reportedly insisted on the Rivers State governor.

The source said, “Wike told them Atiku disappointed him. He said he didn’t bargain for vice president; it was Atiku who begged him. When he eventually agreed and he expected them to work something out, he came back to say he had picked Okowa.

‘’But when Atiku chose Okowa, he didn’t come back to them (Wike and other governors) to say anything. And the speech he made when he was unveiling Okowa was very disappointing,” the ex-PDP official quoted Wike to have said.

Continuing, the party chieftain said, “Wike also told them that Atiku came to London and assured him that Ayu would resign to balance things. He also complained about the gang-up and sharing of positions which they had already done. Ayo Fayose and Dan Orbih were present during the meeting.’’

According to him, “By the time he told them all that, they (BoT members) were speechless and they were convinced that Wike had been wronged. He told them how he took care of the party when all of them left and how he never abandoned the party for a day.

“After hearing all that transpired from Wike, they asked him the way forward. Wike replied that the only way forward was for Ayu to resign and that if Ayu does not resign, nobody should talk to him about PDP again. He vowed not to leave the party but at the same time he would not work for Atiku.”

The PDP chieftain also said Wike told the Wabara-led reconciliation committee how Atiku’s loyalist insulted him publicly and the former vice-president failed to caution them to order.

“Wike complained that there was a time Sule Lamido, Babangida Aliu and Tom Ikimi—all Atiku loyalists—were abusing him and Atiku refused to checkmate them until it got out of hand,” he added.

Meanwhile, a member of the BoT Reconciliation Committee, Shuaibu Oyedokun, has disclosed to The PUNCH that a meeting of the advisory body would hold as soon as the committee’s report is ready.

Having visited all the governors in Wike’s camp as well as Atiku and his running mate, Oyedokun said the committee was now set to compile its report, preparatory to presenting it to the BoT.

“After compilation, we will submit our report to a larger BoT meeting which will consider it before submitting it to the NWC. The working committee will in turn present it to NEC (National Executive Committee),” Oyedokun said.

In a separate interview with The PUNCH, former Jigawa State Governor and NEC, Lamido, came short of ruling out an immediate solution to the crisis saying, “It (reconciliation) is a continuous process up to the elections and even beyond.”

Like Lamido, a former National Vice Chairman (South-West) of the party, Eddy Olafeso, wants Nigerians to be patient with the party, stressing that the crisis would become a thing of the past in no distant time.

On when NEC was likely to receive the report of the reconciliation committee, Olafeso stated, “When they are done, they will give their report to the NWC and from there to NEC for deliberation. The party is one and we have established positions. We are on course in the desire to reconcile all members of our party.’’
PUNCH

Politics

VIDEO: Akpabio, Oshiomhole Clash Amid 2027 Intrigues

Published

12 minutes ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

What began as a routine legislative procedure on Wednesday spiralled into a high-voltage confrontation in the Senate, as Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Adams Oshiomhole engaged in a dramatic face-off that exposed simmering political tensions tied to the 2027 power game.

The immediate trigger was procedural: Oshiomhole attempted to raise a point of order just as Akpabio moved to confirm the Votes and Proceedings of the previous sitting.

But the refusal of the Senate President to recognise him—despite repeated shouts of “point of order!”—quickly transformed the moment into a charged standoff.

Oshiomhole appeared determined to be heard, repeatedly interrupting proceedings in a manner that unsettled the chamber.

Attempts by Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno to restore calm failed, as the Edo North senator pressed on.

In a stern and calculated response, Akpabio asserted his authority, invoking the Senate Standing Orders and reading out provisions that underline his sweeping powers to control debate, interpret rules, and discipline erring lawmakers.

“The rules and laws governing the Senate Chamber… are clearly defined,” he said, before reeling off his constitutional and procedural powers.
He did not stop there.

“Let me be clear… many people may not have seen this order,” Akpabio added pointedly, in remarks that drew murmurs across the chamber.

As the exchange intensified, he issued a direct warning: any senator who becomes unruly would be asked to leave.

“This is the final warning,” he declared but beneath the surface, the clash carried deeper political undertones.

Multiple sources within the National Assembly suggest Oshiomhole’s insistence on raising a point of order may not have been merely procedural.

The former Edo State Governor is widely believed to be nursing ambitions for the Senate Presidency in 2027 and Wednesday’s confrontation is being interpreted in some quarters as an early signal of discontent with the current power structure.

At the heart of the tension is a controversial amendment to Senate rules, which critics say has effectively narrowed the 2027 Senate Presidency race to a select circle of insiders—years before the first vote is cast.
For figures like Oshiomhole, the development is said to be deeply unsettling.

Insiders claim the amendments are part of a broader political calculation to shape the leadership of the next National Assembly.

According to multiple accounts, the move is allegedly backed by powerful interests within the ruling establishment seeking to ensure that the Senate leadership remains firmly aligned with the executive arm.

Critics argue that the strategy is designed to shut out independent or unpredictable contenders, preempt internal rebellion, and ultimately shield the executive from robust legislative scrutiny.

Within this context, Wednesday’s drama is being viewed less as a spontaneous breakdown of order and more as a clash rooted in control, ambition, and the future leadership of the Senate.

To some observers, Akpabio’s firm handling of the situation was a necessary assertion of order.

To others, it signalled the use of institutional authority to silence dissent at a politically sensitive moment.

Either way, the explosive exchange has laid bare a Senate increasingly defined not just by lawmaking—but by high-stakes maneuvering ahead of 2027.

Watch the video here

Politics

JUST IN: Former APC National Youth Leader Dumps Party

Published

2 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

Sadiq Abubakar, a former All Progressives Congress (APC) National Youth Leader has announced his decision to dump the ruling party.

Abubakar who disclosed this in an interview with Newsmen in Bauchi on Wednesday, explained that his decision was unconnected with the hardship faced by many Nigerian homes due to difficult policies and programmes by the APC.

According to him, the move was also driven by an objective of securing free and fair victory in future election primaries so as to continue to serve the people with strength and integrity.

He stated that his decision followed a series of consultations with family, friends, political associates and stakeholders saying this was after a careful reflection on recent developments within the party structure and internal arrangements.

“It is high time to adopt a party with a more clear vision and the compassion to help the common man.

“The APC processes are not working, the party is not just and fair. I’m leaving the party because there is no fairness in the electoral processes of the party as well as the consensus.

“And I know that they are not going to be fair in the forthcoming primaries but they will only use the power of incumbency.

“Also, what the party is doing to every family is becoming something else as it’s becoming too hard to put a three square meal on the table,” he said.

The Former APC National Youth Leader however, affirmed that he would soon reveal the new political party of his destination in no distant time.

Politics

Defection: Peter Obi Simply Looking For ‘Food Is Ready’ Party – Wike

Published

8 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe on former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his recent defection.

Speaking during a media parley on Wednesday, Wike said Obi is looking for a ‘food is ready’ political party.

The minister said, “Obi was in APGA, he couldn’t build APGA. He went to Labour, he ran away again from Labour. All he’s looking for is food is ready political party.”

Recall that Obi and Rabi’u Kwankwaso, former presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, on Sunday officially joined the NDC ahead of the 2027 general elections.