PDP Northern Elders accuse Wike, allies of plot to wreck party

By Gbolahan Salman

The Northern Elders Unity Forum of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and his allies of working to destroy the party and weaken opposition politics in Nigeria.

In a communiqué issued after its 18th meeting, the Forum reaffirmed confidence in the Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Iliya Umar Damagum, and condemned what it described as desperate attempts by some members to derail the forthcoming national convention slated for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.

National Secretary of the Forum, Dr. Abbas Sadauki (Dan Madamin Tofa), in a strongly worded statement, said the group’s position was unanimous and warned against internal sabotage.

“No amount of political intimidation, threats or lies will stop the successful conduct of the national convention in Ibadan,” Sadauki said.

He alleged that some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) were conniving with “external forces” to destabilize the party.

“Those misleading groups within our ranks are jokers — predators unleashed against our unity. Some NWC members who align with forces bent on destroying our party will fail. Their schemes will backfire and end in shame,” he stated.

Sadauki accused Wike of being behind the renewed crisis in the PDP, claiming that the minister and his loyalists were bent on frustrating the opposition.

“These ungrateful individuals, under the guidance of Mr. Nyesom Wike, want to destroy anything good about the PDP or any opposition movement through court cases or abuse of power. But they will not succeed,” he said.

The Forum expressed full support for Damagum and other leaders “genuinely committed to rebuilding and uniting the PDP,” praising their efforts to reposition the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

It also cautioned the judiciary and President Bola Tinubu to be wary of “political mercenaries” seeking to manipulate institutions to undermine democracy.

“We appeal to the judiciary not to be misled by elements who have become tools in the hands of those bent on destroying our democracy. They are enemies of progress and a burden to governance,” the statement added.

Reaffirming its loyalty to the current leadership, the Forum insisted that the National Executive Committee’s (NEC) decision to proceed with the convention remains binding.

“Our support for Ambassador Damagum’s leadership is sacrosanct. Every disciplined member must respect the NEC’s decision to protect the party’s unity and progress,” Sadauki concluded.

The PDP, Nigeria’s leading opposition party, has been in turmoil since the 2023 general elections following disputes over zoning, leadership, and control of party structures.

Wike, a former Rivers State governor and one of the influential G-5 governors who opposed the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has remained a divisive figure. His appointment as FCT Minister by President Bola Tinubu has further deepened suspicions that he is undermining the PDP from within.

The Northern Elders Unity Forum’s intervention comes amid growing agitation within the PDP over the planned convention and calls from some quarters for a change in leadership — a development many fear could further fragment the opposition ahead of the 2027 polls.