PDP Crisis: NEC Hangs As NWC, Wike, Fubara, Mohammed Battle For Supremacy

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crisis may be far from the end, even as political analysts and citizens hope for a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.

The main opposition party fixed February 29 for its NEC meeting. However, recent developments within the party may mar the hope of citizens and political analysts for a viable opposition.

Naija News reported that a former presidential candidate of the party, Dele Momodu, had in an interview accused the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of being responsible for the party’s crisis as a result of his loss in the 2022 presidential primary.

Issues to be Discussed at NEC

The NEC meeting was expected to settle the internal crisis of the party that centered around, Wike’ Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara; the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State; the National Working Committee crisis and the position of national secretary between Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Ude Okoye.

Wike Versus Bala Mohammed

The trouble with the PDP Governors chairman and the former Rivers State governor started with the party’s Governors Forum declaring support for Governor Fubara.

But it intensified when Wike criticized the Governor of Bauchi State for opposing President Bola Tinubu’s Tax Reform Bills.

Reacting to Wike’s criticism, Governor Mohammed through his Media Aide, Mukhtar Gidado, described the FCT Minister as a ‘transactional‘ politician and a ‘liability‘.

“His recent media outburst was yet another reminder of his transactional approach to politics, where personal ambition eclipses loyalty, principles, and collective interests,” Mohammed said.

As expected, Wike, a PDP member currently serving as FCT Minister for the All Progressives Congress (APC) government, fired the Bauchi Governor, describing him as lacking in capacity.

He also accused him of contributing to the party’s crisis by holding the position of the party’s Governors Forum chairmanship. According to Wike, a Southern Governor should hold the position.

“It is funny that a known fairweather politician like Bala Mohammed was the one calling someone else a transactional politician.

“First, Governor Bala Mohammed is holding the position of Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum out of political greed, because by convention and practice, the position should be held by one of the PDP Governors in the South.

“Reason being that the immediate past Chairman of the Forum was from the North, same as the PDP National Chairman,” he stated.

The Silent Olagunsoye Oyinlola-led National Reconciliation Committee 

The PDP in a great move constituted a very ambitious Olagunsoye Oyinlola-led National Reconciliation Committee.

The Committee was charged with reaching out to all aggrieved members of the party to form a solid front against the APC government.

While the committee was formed in August 2024, it could be argued if it was living up to its expectations. The PDP lost two governorship elections in Edo State and Ondo State, some analysts blamed the party’s crisis. Also, the Oyinlola-led National Reconciliation Committee last held a meeting with the party’s NWC on October 23, 2024.

The Committee’s progress was also expected to birth a peaceful NEC meeting in February. A PDP chieftain told Vanguard that the Committee has a new fire to quench if the NEC must hold.

This fire will be the party’s Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and Rivers State leadership crisis.

“The committee certainly has fresh fires to put out. I cannot confirm that the NEC meeting, which has been postponed three consecutive times, will be held as scheduled in February.

“Damagum and his sit-tight choir are already shopping for another excuse to postpone the meeting. Because we are having all of these troubles at various levels, it remains to be seen if reason would prevail,” the source said.

Rivers State PDP Chapter, Wike and Governor Fubara

The political crisis in Rivers State between Wike and Governor Fubara was a known issue to political analysts and citizens, but a new twist to it could hamper NEC.

The twist borders on who is in charge of the state’s party structure. This particular issue has divided the National Working Committee.

A recent judgment by Rivers State High Court affirming the leadership of a faction of the party loyal to Fubara was welcomed by some NWC members.

National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Debo Ologunagba, National Treasurer, Ahmed Yayari, and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, accepted the judgment.

Ologunagba, who issued a statement stating this position said, “The NWC of the PDP acknowledges receipt, considered and hereby accepts the judgment of the Rivers State High Court which in Suit No.

PHC/2301/CS/2024 nullified the ward, local government and state congresses of our party in Rivers State conducted on July 27, August 10 and August 31, 2024, respectively.”

Reaffirming his earlier issued statement on the party’s leadership in Rivers State, Ologunagba told Vanguard in an interview, “as of today, Rivers State chapter of our great party is firmly under the leadership of Hon. Nname Robinson Ewor and his executive.

“As a law-abiding party, we implore Ewor and his team to unite behind Governor Siminalayi Fubara to deliver on his promise of good governance to the people of Rivers State. At the national level, we will give them the needed support to succeed.”

Damagum, Samuel, Bature Say No

However, the party’s Acting National Chairman, Damagum; National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, and some elected officials rejected the notion.

For instance, Deputy National Publicity, Ibrahim Abdullahi, who belongs to the Damagum camp, countered Ologunagba’s declaration with a disclaimer.

According to him, the Damagum-led NWC did not accept the judgment. He questioned why Ologunagba would issue the acceptance statement.

“The NWC did not accept the judgment in River State, recognizing the Ewor-led ex-co. That is not true. The NWC has not sat since September last year. This is subject to your verification. I wonder where he will now say the NWC sat and adopted wholly, or accepted the verdict, recognizing the Ewor-led state ex-co in River State,” he said.

Anyanwu, Ude-Okoye Crisis

Another hanging fruit that required plucking, but may be hard to pluck before February NEC is the issue of National Secretary between Samuel Anyanwu and Ude-Okoye.

A High Court as well as a Court of Appeal gave judgement recognising Sunday Ude-Okoye as the legitimate occupant.

However, Senator Anyanwu has approached the Supreme Court challenging his ouster. He has also said by virtue of his pending case at the Supreme Court and his application for a stay of execution of the orders of the two courts, he remains in office.

While the Damagum group accepted his argument, Ologunagba and his colleagues as well as the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) did not accept his logic. As the days draw closer, political analysts hope for better opposition.