A major showdown is brewing within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the factions loyal to the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the newly elected National Chairman, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, prepare to hold parallel meetings of the Board of Trustees (BOT) and National Executive Committee (NEC) this Tuesday.
Wike Faction Fixes Parallel Meetings
The group aligned with Wike, led by the now-sacked National Chairman Mohammed Abdulrahman, has announced that its BOT and NEC meetings will hold today, November 18, at the PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja.
Factional National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu issued the notice, insisting that members must attend because “crucial matters will be discussed.”
This development comes on the heels of the faction loyal to Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, which held a national convention in Ibadan where Wike, former Ekiti Governor Ayo Fayose, Samuel Anyanwu, and Dan Orbih were expelled.
However, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa and Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau distanced themselves from the expulsion.
Turaki Vows to Take Over Secretariat
Despite the escalating tension, newly elected PDP National Chairman Kabiru Tanimu Turaki insists that his faction will proceed with its inaugural NEC meeting at Wadata Plaza today.
Speaking after submitting a petition at the Police Headquarters in Abuja on Monday, Turaki said he is determined to reclaim the secretariat and begin work immediately.
“Our offices are open. We will get in there and perform the duties for which we were elected,” he said.
He confirmed that security agencies had been notified and assured of protection.
“While we will ensure there is no breach of peace, we will defend ourselves and our integrity. We are prepared to lay down our lives,” he declared, adding that the NEC meeting will begin at 10 a.m., which he intends to lead “from the front.”
North-West Chapters Deeply Divided
The crisis has spilled into state chapters across the North-West, including Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa.
In Kano, State PDP Chairman Yusuf Ado Kibiya accused the Wike camp of sowing chaos in the party.
“They are not even PDP members anymore,” he claimed, alleging that external forces were supporting the group. He urged the faction to seek legal redress instead of destabilising the party.
In Jigawa, PDP spokesman Umar Kyari insisted that neither Turaki’s faction nor Wike’s group has the legitimacy to access the party secretariat.
He argued that Turaki’s election violated a court order suspending the convention, while the Wike faction had been expelled.
He urged security agencies to seal the national secretariat until the crisis is resolved.
From Katsina, PDP chieftain Ambassador Umar Jibril declared that Wike ceased to be a party member the moment he accepted a position in the APC-led federal government.
“What Wike is doing threatens democracy, not only in the PDP but also in other parties,” he warned.
PDP on the Brink
With both factions insisting on holding separate NEC and BOT meetings at the same venue on the same day, the PDP faces one of its most explosive internal confrontations yet.
The power struggle has widened from Abuja to multiple states, exposing deep fractures in the party at a critical time for the opposition.