Prominent members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, have blamed the party’s ongoing crisis on the failure of some leaders to follow the party’s constitution.
They specifically accused the PDP leadership of not complying with a Supreme Court judgment regarding the rightful holder of the National Secretary position.
Wike, speaking on Monday evening in Abuja during a meeting of the Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP, assured attendees that despite the party’s internal problems, “the party will not die.”
The meeting, held behind closed doors, was attended by former G5 Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia); PDP National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; former Senate Minority Leader, Philip Aduda; lawmakers (past and present), and some zonal and state party officials.
At the end of the meeting, the stakeholders issued a communiqué stating that unless the crisis is urgently addressed, the PDP is heading for self-destruction.
Among the decisions made, they reaffirmed support for Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the legitimate National Secretary, demanded that the 2027 presidential ticket be zoned to the south, and backed the reconciliation efforts led by Senator Bukola Saraki.
The communiqué reads in part:
- The group met on June 9, 2025, in Abuja to discuss the party’s current situation and reviewed the need to uphold internal democracy, equity, and justice. They reached the following conclusions: (i) The persistent crisis in the PDP stems from the refusal of certain individuals to respect key sections of the Party’s Constitution, especially Section 36(1)(a)(b)(c), Sections 47(3)(5), and 48(1)(i), as well as the Supreme Court’s ruling on the National Secretary position. (ii) They warned that unless the party takes immediate action, it risks destroying itself, just as it did before the 2023 elections. (iii) The crisis, they added, is worsened by divisive behavior from some individuals within the party’s NEC, NWC, and Board of Trustees.
- As a result, the stakeholders resolved that: (i) The party must respect the Supreme Court judgment, and they reaffirmed Senator Sam Anyanwu as the duly elected and legitimate National Secretary. (ii) To ensure fairness and comply with federal character principles, the PDP must clearly announce that its 2027 presidential ticket will go to the South, especially after President Muhammadu Buhari’s two terms from the North. (iii) According to the party’s Constitution, only Senator Anyanwu is authorized to issue notices for National Convention, NEC, National Caucus, and NWC meetings. Any notice or communication not issued by him, including those sent to INEC, is considered invalid and ineffective. (iv) They emphasized that only a properly constituted National Convention has the power to remove Senator Anyanwu, who is a NEC member. (v) They demanded that both the Acting National Chairman and the National Secretary should jointly notify INEC of the next NEC meeting, including the meeting agenda, in line with the party’s rules.
- The stakeholders pledged to uphold the rule of law, respect the party’s constitution, resist any attempt to destabilize the party, and support the National Reconciliation Committee led by Senator Bukola Saraki.
