The camp of former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have fractured as state governors, including Oyo State’s Seyi Makinde and Bauchi’s Bala Mohammed, take charge of the party amid the ongoing crisis.
A top PDP source revealed to Saturday PUNCH that Makinde and several governors who were once aligned with Wike had started collaborating with other governors to reduce the influence of the minister of the Federal Capital Territory on the party’s leadership.
The source said the PDP Governors Forum’s decision to distance itself from Senator Samuel Anyanwu and endorse former National Youth Leader Sunday Ude-Okoye highlighted the deepening rift within Wike’s camp.
The PDP governors on Friday affirmed Ude-Okoye as the party’s National Secretary in accordance with the Appeal Court’s judgment in Enugu.
Under the leadership of the Bauchi State Governor, PDP governors distanced themselves from Anyanwu and confirmed Ude-Okoye’s position during a meeting in Asaba, the capital of Delta State, on Friday.
In a communique provided to journalists by Bala, the governors also instructed the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and the National Working Committee (NWC) to convene the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting by 13 March at the latest.
The PDP has faced internal challenges both before and after the 2023 general elections, creating ongoing instability within the party.
Damagum, who became the acting National Chairman, has come under criticism from party members who blame him for the party’s continued struggles.
He took over from Iyorchia Ayu, the former National Chairman, who was removed by the court for not implementing essential reforms within the party.
The leadership crisis later escalated, particularly due to disagreements regarding the National Secretary position.
In 2023, South East zone of the PDP argued that Anyanwu should step down from his role as National Secretary, given his Imo State governorship candidature, which led to further controversy and division within the party.
On 20 December 2024, the Appeal Court in Enugu ruled in favour of Ude-Okoye, confirming him as the new National Secretary.
The decision was officially communicated to the party leadership on 24 December
On 27 January 2025, the Court of Appeal in Abuja issued a restraining order, instructing Anyanwu to remain in the position until the Supreme Court makes its final decision.
The situation escalated into a crisis on Thursday during the Board of Trustees meeting, when some party supporters loyal to Anyanwu physically removed Ude-Okoye from the meeting.
Normalcy was only restored after security personnel intervened.
In response, the governors endorsed the Court of Appeal’s judgment and urged the NWC to put in place the necessary steps for its effective implementation.
The communique read in part, ‘The Forum noted with delight the ongoing efforts at resolving the crisis in the National Working Committee on the position of the National Secretary, and has reaffirmed its support for the Court of Appeal judgment; consequently, the forum advised the NWC to set up the machinery for the effective implementation of the court judgment.
‘The forum, having examined all the notices required by law to be given to validly convoke NEC, advised the NWC to reschedule NEC to the 13th of March 2025’.
Regarding the state of the nation, the PDP governors maintained that the Federal Government’s macroeconomic policies had caused significant hardship and suffering in the country.
They urged the Federal Government to reconsider its policies to alleviate the hardship faced by Nigerians, stressing that no meaningful progress could be made in states until the policies were addressed.
On why the governors decided to affirm Ude-Okoye, the reliable source told Saturday PUNCH that the PDP leaders, dissatisfied with Wike’s influence over the party, united in their opposition to his ally and endorsed Ude-Okoye as National Secretary.
He stated, ‘Among the former G5, after Wike, the next most influential governor within PDP and beyond is Makinde. Since other governors completed their tenures, Makinde has been the one supporting the camp in achieving its goals.
‘However, the relationship soured after the removal of the PDP National Vice Chairman, South East, Ali Odefa, who is Makinde’s ally. Many party leaders are aware that the camp is no longer united, which is why Makinde and a few others moved against Anyanwu.
‘The truth is, most governors are weary of the prolonged crisis. They are seeking solutions and have realised that taking full control of the party as governors is the way forward. Governors like Bala Mohammed, Sim Fubara, and Makinde want to take charge and are tired of Wike calling the shots.
‘Before the Asaba meeting, a governor in Wike’s camp orchestrated the whole plan. That’s why they unanimously affirmed Ude-Okoye and used the Appeal Court’s judgment to justify their actions. So, Wike’s ally could not get a single governor’s support.
‘Interestingly, they did not allow Ude-Okoye and Anyanwu to attend the meeting. One of them was initially invited but later disinvited. The governors reviewed all court documents, including the Enugu judgment and the reported stay of execution, and decided to affirm Ude-Okoye based on what they knew, what they had seen, and other factors.
‘This is a major setback for Wike, losing the secretary position and even the support of some governors. Events of the next few days will reveal more’.
Ude-Okoye lauds govs
In a related development, Ude-Okoye has lauded the PDP governors for their determination and pledged to serve the party to the best of his ability.
The former youth leader also encouraged party members to remain hopeful, assuring them that the party would regain power.
‘PDP members should remain committed and resolute. They should remember that our party was built and anchored on truth by great Nigerians who founded the party. They should have hope that our party will recover power and help take Nigeria to greater heights’, he added.
Attempts to reach Anyanwu for comments on the development were unsuccessful, as he did not answer his calls or respond to text messages.
When reached for comments, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, called the governors’ decision a positive development.
According to Ologunagba, the PDP is a party that upholds the rule of law and is always prepared to respect court judgments.
