In a surprising revelation, former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has accused Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State of being at the center of the ongoing crisis within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
In a statement titled “PDP Crisis: My Position”, Wike disclosed that longstanding issues within the PDP stem largely from dishonesty and breach of internal agreements, with Makinde allegedly playing a key role.
Wike recounted a recent G5 meeting held in Lagos, where he directly told Makinde that his failure to honor agreements was undermining the party’s unity. According to Wike, the group agreed to move past the conflict and work towards reconciliation.
An expanded follow-up meeting later took place in Abuja, involving notable party leaders including Makinde, Bala Mohammed, Umaru Fintiri, and Bukola Saraki. Wike claimed he expressed his grievances, particularly with Bala Mohammed’s alleged use of his position as PDP Governors’ Forum Chairman to flout agreements. Despite high tensions, the meeting reportedly resulted in resolutions, including:
Affirming Senator Samuel Anyanwu as PDP National Secretary per a Supreme Court judgment;
Withdrawing all PDP-related legal matters in Rivers State;
Halting a proposed state of emergency suit;
Strict adherence to all resolutions reached.
Wike said he agreed to attend a stakeholders’ meeting at the Bauchi Government Lodge following appeals by other leaders. A reconciliation committee led by Bukola Saraki was then formed. However, he now claims the resolutions from the Abuja meeting were violated even before the committee began its work.
According to Wike, Makinde, in collaboration with Enugu State Governor Peter Mba, backed a South-East PDP faction’s push for Ude Okoye as National Secretary, threatening to exit the party otherwise. Wike condemned this move, along with subsequent actions from party officials allegedly orchestrated by Makinde, including the controversial use of the Deputy National Secretary’s signature in official party correspondence, leading to INEC rejecting a PDP congress in Jos.
“These actions are in blatant violation of our agreements and harm the PDP’s credibility,” Wike said. “It is distasteful, provocative, and unacceptable.”
Reflecting on his long-standing commitment to the PDP since 1998, Wike expressed frustration that despite contributing to the electoral victories of several governors, he has been met with betrayal.
“I had hoped trust could be maintained among us, but with continued deceit, I have resolved to withdraw from all prior agreements,” he concluded. “I will fight on until justice is served.”
