Wike meets PDP Leaders in Abuja

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is hosting several top leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at his Abuja residence to deliberate on the state of the party and chart a path forward.

Among those present are PDP National Secretary Sam Anyanwu, former governors Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Minority Leader of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly Kingsley Chinda, the Speaker of the Rivers Assembly, and other lawmakers.

The meeting follows Wike’s warning that the PDP risks further internal crisis if it attempts to reintegrate former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi into its ranks. Speaking during a media chat on Monday, Wike criticized the party’s leadership, saying it had failed to learn from mistakes that cost it heavily in the 2023 elections.

He recalled cautioning party leaders against allowing both the presidential candidate and national chairman to come from the North, describing the decision as unjust and politically disastrous. “From day one, I told my colleagues, PDP, you are shooting yourself. If you allow what is going on to continue, you’ll pay. And what did I say? You cannot have the presidential candidate at the same time as the national chairman of the party,” Wike stated.

The former Rivers State governor further accused the PDP of ignoring calls for equity and fairness, insisting this imbalance contributed significantly to its electoral defeat.