The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has formally withdrawn from all reconciliation efforts previously undertaken within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing betrayal, dishonesty, and repeated violations of mutual agreements by key party figures.
In a statement released on Sunday, Wike traced the origins of the PDP’s internal crisis to the aftermath of the 2023 general elections. He lamented what he described as the party’s steady descent into “dishonesty and lack of trust among key stakeholders.”
“Since after the 2023 general election, the PDP has been wantonly swinging from one part of a slippery precipice to another,” he said, adding that multiple efforts to “arrest this pernicious virus of dishonesty and treachery” had failed.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State and a prominent member of the influential G5 group, singled out Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde for allegedly sabotaging reconciliation efforts. He accused Makinde of being “the architect of our problems,” citing a lack of commitment to previously agreed resolutions.
“I made it clear to Governor Seyi Makinde that he was the architect of our problems, pointing out that the failure to honor agreements was the bane of the party, and he was the chief culprit,” Wike stated.
He revealed that during a G5 meeting in Lagos, the group had agreed to put aside their differences and move forward. This was followed by a broader reconciliation meeting in Abuja, held at the residence of former Senate President Bukola Saraki, and attended by Governors Bala Mohammed, Umaru Fintiri, Makinde, and Saraki himself.
According to Wike, the Abuja meeting produced a series of resolutions, including recognition of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the PDP’s National Secretary in compliance with a Supreme Court ruling, the withdrawal of court cases concerning Rivers State by the party’s National Legal Adviser, and a halt to discussions around a state of emergency in Rivers.
However, Wike said those agreements were quickly and blatantly violated even before the Saraki-led reconciliation committee could commence its work.
“To my chagrin, Seyi Makinde conspired with Peter Mba of Enugu State to engineer a meeting of so-called South-East leaders, threatening to withdraw from the PDP if Ude Okoye was not adopted as National Secretary,” he alleged.
Wike also accused party officials of sidelining Anyanwu by presenting the Deputy National Secretary as acting National Secretary. He said this same official issued a letter summoning a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which he described as a “flagrant violation” of the agreed terms.
He cited a specific incident on May 24, 2025, when a PDP zonal elective congress in Jos was aborted after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) refused to attend. According to Wike, the commission deemed the invitation invalid because it was signed by the Deputy National Secretary rather than the recognized officeholder.
“This is undeniably distasteful, provocative, and annoying—to say the least,” Wike said.
Reflecting on his long-standing loyalty to the PDP since 1998, Wike expressed disappointment over what he called the ingratitude of party leaders he had supported.
“It is on record that none of these individuals have contributed as much as I have to sustain this party. What is more painful is that I helped many of them win their elections, yet I have never made any personal demands—and I never would.”
Declaring a definitive break from ongoing reconciliation, Wike said he had lost all faith in the party’s internal goodwill and would no longer be part of any settlement efforts.
“I have now firmly decided to pull out of all agreements hitherto reached. I have decided to fight on until justice is attained,” he concluded.
As of the time of filing this report, the PDP has yet to issue an official response to Wike’s statement. Governors Makinde and Mba have also not responded to the allegations.
