Wike withdraws from PDP reconciliation process, accuses leadership of treachery

By Kunle Sanni

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has announced his withdrawal from all reconciliation efforts within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing persistent betrayal, dishonesty, and what he described as a pattern of bad faith among key party leaders.

In a lengthy statement released on Sunday, Wike accused PDP stakeholders of undermining various peace agreements reached following the internal crisis that engulfed the party after the 2023 general elections.

“Since after the 2023 General Election, the PDP has been wantonly swinging from one part of a slippery precipice to another,” Wike said. “All efforts to arrest this virus of dishonesty and treachery have failed.”

Wike placed direct blame on Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, describing him as the “architect” of the party’s internal dysfunction. According to Wike, Makinde’s refusal to honor prior agreements had become the central obstacle to reconciliation.

“I made it clear to the Governor of Oyo State, H.E. Seyi Makinde, that he was the architect of our problems. Non-adherence to agreements reached has been the bane of the party, and he is the chief culprit,” Wike declared.

The minister, a prominent member of the G5 — a faction of five influential PDP governors who opposed the party’s leadership before the 2023 election — revealed that reconciliation efforts included multiple high-level meetings. One such meeting was held in Lagos, where the G5 resolved to put aside their differences. Another followed in Abuja at the residence of former Senate President Bukola Saraki, with the participation of Governors Bala Mohammed, Umaru Fintiri, and Seyi Makinde, as well as Senator Saraki himself.

According to Wike, the Abuja dialogue produced clear resolutions: recognition of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the legitimate PDP National Secretary in line with a Supreme Court ruling, the withdrawal of all legal cases involving the Rivers State PDP chapter, and a halt to calls for a state of emergency in the state.

However, Wike claims that those agreements were quickly violated, even before Saraki’s reconciliation committee could begin its work.

“To my chagrin, Seyi Makinde had connived with Peter Mbah of Enugu State to orchestrate a meeting of South-East leaders, threatening to leave the PDP if Ude Okoye was not installed as National Secretary,” Wike said.