Garba Mohammed
The internal war within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) escalated sharply on Tuesday as the faction aligned with Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, announced the expulsion of several high-profile party leaders, including serving governors and senior national figures.
In a dramatic move, the factional National Executive Committee (NEC) ratified the expulsion of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, and Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State. Former Board of Trustees Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, ex-National Vice Chairman Bode George, and recently elected National Chairman Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, were also axed.
A Retaliatory Strike
Tuesday’s expulsions appeared to be a retaliation for last weekend’s controversial national convention held in Ibadan, where Wike and his loyalists were themselves expelled by a rival faction of the party. The tit-for-tat showdown has plunged the PDP into its most chaotic internal crisis in recent years.
The atmosphere at the PDP National Secretariat in Wadata Plaza, Abuja, was tense as rival camps attempted to hold parallel NEC and Board of Trustees meetings. Security operatives struggled to maintain order as loyalists of both groups clashed verbally and physically in a fight for control.
Sweeping Dissolutions
At its session, Wike’s factional NEC dissolved the PDP executive councils in Oyo, Bauchi, Zamfara, Yobe, Lagos, and Ekiti States, directing the immediate formation of caretaker committees and the organisation of fresh congresses.
Reading the communiqué, factional National Secretary Senator Sam Anyanwu said the NEC considered the report of Acting National Chairman Hon. Abdulrahman Mohammed, who highlighted alleged violations of Articles 58(1) and 59(1) of the party’s constitution.
According to the communiqué, offences cited included anti-party activities, defiance of court orders, and conduct deemed injurious to the party’s reputation.
More Under Investigation
The NEC also commenced disciplinary procedures against several other influential members, naming a long list that includes:
Adolphus Wabara
Olabode George
Ben N. Obi
Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN
Bala Mohammed
Oluseyi Makinde
Dauda Lawal
Taofiq Arapaja
Setonji Koshoedo
Okechukwu Obiechina Daniel
Woyengikuro Daniel
Mohammed Kadade Suleiman
Emmanuel Ogidi
Sumaila Adamu Burga
Umar Sani
Udom Emmanuel
Emmanuel Enorden
The widening net of sanctions underscores the scale of the party’s fracturing, with both factions now operating as parallel structures, each claiming legitimacy.
A Party at Breaking Point
Tuesday’s developments intensify fears that the PDP—once Nigeria’s dominant political force—may be headed toward a full-scale split. With both sides issuing expulsions and counter-expulsions, analysts warn that reconciliation may be difficult unless a neutral force intervenes.
For now, the opposition party remains locked in a bitter internal battle with national implications ahead of future elections.
More details to follow as the situation develops…