Politics
Power showdown: Wike bloc defiant as PDP BoT insists on convention
The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party is far from over as the faction loyal to the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, insisted that the national convention of the party slated for Ibadan, the Oyo State capital between November 15 and 16, will not hold.
Despite the position of the party’s Board of Trustees earlier on Wednesday, urging the National Working Committee to go ahead with the convention, the group led by the factional Acting National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, said the event would not hold.
The national secretariat of the party remained sealed as the two factions resorted to the use of other facilities to run their respective groups.
Earlier on Wednesday, the BoT of the PDP, aware of the status of the secretariat, met at the Bauchi State Governor’s Lodge, Abuja.
It was an event attended by the National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagum alongside the BoT chairman, Adolphus Wabara, ex-Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Makarfi, and other party chieftains.
Similarly, Abdulrahman and his group met at the Wuye private office of embattled party secretary Samuel Anyanwu to brief the media about their activities since his emergence earlier in the week.
Abdulrahman said his group had gotten the Certified True Copy of Justice James Omotosho’s ruling, which last week put the convention on hold.
He said, “The national leadership of the PDP, under my humble self, in collaboration with our National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, hereby formally inform the Nigerian public that we have received the Certified True Copy of the recent judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered by Honourable Justice Omotosho in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025.
“We are pleased to confirm that our esteemed National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN, has provided a thorough legal opinion on the implications of the judgment.
“In strict adherence to due process and our commitment to fairness, we have filed an appeal before the Court of Appeal to seek further judicial clarification and interpretation in the overall interest of our party, our members and Nigerian democracy.
“Consequently, having filed an appeal and in line with our responsibility to uphold the rule of law in the PDP, we hereby suspend and cancel the proposed Ibadan national convention pending the decision of the Court of Appeal. Any continuation with the proposed convention at this time would amount to a violation of the rule of law and shall not be condoned.”
He noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission, a party to the suit, “is fully aware of the judgment of the Federal High court.”
“We have deemed it necessary and responsible to formally communicate our position to the commission. Accordingly, we have notified INEC to suspend the national convention in strict compliance with the directive contained in the judgement,” he added.
He further argued that the ex parte order granted by Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court, cannot override the earlier ruling of Justice Omotosho.
“We are also aware of an ex parte order recently issued by a High Court in Oyo State. While we await the Certrfied True Copy of the said order, we reiterate that an ex parte order cannot override a subsisting judgment of the Federal High Court.
“We shall continue to act only in accordance with valid judicial authority and the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“As a responsible, law-abiding, and democratic institution, the PDP remains unwavering in its commitment to the rule of law, constitutional governance, and internal party democracy.
“Our actions will continue to be guided by legal advice, by respect for our members, and by our duty to protect the integnty of our party,” he added.
He assured Nigerians of the oneness of the PDP as one indivisible family despite its current travails.
‘Convention must hold’
However, the Oyo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party said it was focused on mobilising party members ahead of its national convention in Ibadan and will not be distracted by “charlatans and political comedians.”
The Oyo PDP is loyal to the state governor, Seyi Makinde, who fell apart with Wike following the lingering crisis in the party.
Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Micheal Ogunsina, speaking on Wednesday, dismissed those he described as suspended party members masquerading as an alternative faction.
Ogunsina said the PDP remained united under the leadership of Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum.
He said, “We must stop listening to charlatans and political comedians. PDP is one, and the National Chairman is Umar Damagum. We should not give life to suspended national working committee members. Their words hold no water, and they are wasting their time.”
He said the NWC, BoT and other organs of the party were working towards the success of the convention in Ibadan next week.
“It is also critical to note that there is no division within our rank,” he added. “The NWC, BOT and all other organs of the party are working very hard to ensure that the national convention holds.”
He expressed confidence that INEC would comply with Monday’s Oyo High Court order by Justice Akintola that the PDP and Damagum should proceed with the Ibadan convention.
He also admonished all aggrieved members of the party to be “humble with their excesses.”
“Those who are aggrieved in the party must understand that if the party leadership under Damagum and Wabara will be magnanimous in handling their misdemeanours, they must be humble with their excesses,” he stressed.
PDP secretariat sealed
Meanwhile, Anyanwu has given reasons why the gate to the national secretariat of the party remained locked.
On Monday, Abdulrahman, accompanied by Anyanwu and a team of policemen, took over the Wadata Plaza, where Abdulrahman attributed his emergence to the workings of God and promised to reposition the party.
The secretariat has remained sealed since Monday with Anyanwu insisting it’s a move to protect workers in Wadata Plaza.
“When I arrived at the office to do my normal job (Monday), I was almost attacked by hoodlums.
“Under the directives and instructions of Umar Damagu, the former PDP chairman, I heard them clearly asking the boys to attack. If not for the intervention of the police, most of the staff (members) would have been murdered,” Anyanwu said.
“And for that reason, as the custodian of the office, as the secretary, I asked everybody to stay away. Let us find a lasting solution to make the place safer for our people to do their jobs.”
Like Abdulrahman, Anyanwu said the Ibadan convention would not hold.
He stated, “The judgment of the Federal High Court supersedes the ex parte order by the Oyo court.
“Both the Federal High Court in Abuja and the State High Court in Oyo are equal. But as a matter of fact, the Federal High Court in Abuja has more powers.
“The State High Court order is just an ex parte order, which lasts only seven days. Before that ex parte order, the party had already filed an appeal at an Appeal court. When a new motion is filed in a new court, that means everything will stay, pending the outcome of the appeal. So, we shall wait for the appeal.”
Anyanwu further described the BoT meeting, which held at the Bauchi State Governor’s lodge earlier on Wednesday, as a one-sided affair.
“It was a meeting of friends and associates compared to a Board of Trustees meeting,” he stressed.
On the deployment of police personnel to Wadata on Monday, Anyanwu said he petitioned the police having gotten wind of plans to attack him and his associates.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Ahead of the 2027 National Assembly elections, a mass protest voting movement may be building up in Anambra South Senatorial District, following reported moves by members of major political parties to support the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Chief Ebuka Onunkwo.
The development is said to be linked to grievances among some members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and remnants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the treatment allegedly meted out to Onunkwo during previous political contests.
Onunkwo, who had previously contested the Anambra South senatorial seat under APGA, later emerged as the NDC candidate for the 2027 election.
Although the ADC is currently embroiled in legal disputes over the authentic candidates and the conduct of its primary elections, some members of the APC and APGA are also reportedly dissatisfied with developments within their respective parties.
It was gathered that a section of APGA members, in particular, are backing Onunkwo as a form of protest over the conduct of the party’s senatorial primary, while some members of other parties are also believed to be considering voting for him irrespective of their party affiliations.
Confirming the growing support for Onunkwo, the Chief Executive Officer of NOWAS Oil and Gas Limited and a major stakeholder in Anambra South politics, Chief Ignesus Ikechukwudere Nnubia, said the NDC candidate currently enjoys widespread acceptability across party lines.
Nnubia said the growing support for Onunkwo had made his party affiliation less significant, arguing that voters would ultimately vote according to their conscience and assessment of the candidates.
He said, “At the moment, the number of APGA members with him and supporting him makes one wonder what is left of that party. Even the remnants of the PDP have pitched their tents with him, while members of the ruling APC at the national level are also behind him.
“So, the party that he belongs to is not a factor at all. You know that it is a game of numbers, and people are going to vote according to their conscience and not necessarily because of the political party they belong to.
“People are not bound to vote for their party, and some of them are ready and willing to vote for him.
“We are not talking about the party because he will surely get votes from the NDC, APGA, APC and even other political parties that are already closing ranks to support him as their candidate.”
Nnubia further described Onunkwo as the candidate currently standing tall among the contenders for the Anambra South senatorial seat, expressing confidence that his emergence would usher in what he described as a “new dawn” for the district.
He said political parties should not be the major consideration for voters, stressing that what matters most is the ability of elected representatives to improve the lives of their constituents.
According to him, political parties exist because of the people, and therefore the influence of party structures and incumbency has its limits during elections.
Nnubia said those factors would ultimately be tested by the electorate in the 2027 election, which he described as a contest in which voters’ choices would determine the outcome.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2027 Ebonyi State election, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, has pledged to attract more than ₦2 trillion in private-sector investment to the state within six months of assuming office if elected.
Odii made the pledge while addressing supporters in Lagos ahead of the formal commencement of his campaign.
He said his investment strategy would cover key sectors of the Ebonyi economy, including mining, hospitality, real estate and manufacturing.
According to the PDP candidate, he has identified more than 2,000 prospective investors, each capable of investing about ₦1 billion in the state.
“I have over 2,000 people who can invest ₦1 billion each. When you multiply it, you will get over ₦2 trillion. This has been structured in such a way that all aspects of the economy will be involved,” Odii said.
He said the proposed investment drive was designed not only to inject capital into the state but also to create jobs, expand the productive base of the economy and provide opportunities for young people and entrepreneurs.
Odii said Ebonyi’s natural resources and strategic location placed it in a strong position to attract large-scale investments if its economic potential was properly harnessed.
He promised that his administration would prioritise private-sector participation, industrialisation and job creation while creating an enabling environment for both local and foreign investors.
The candidate also said existing businesses in the state would be supported to expand, while new investors would be encouraged to establish operations across various sectors.
His pledge comes amid growing political activities ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with economic development, employment generation and wealth creation featuring prominently in his campaign message.
The proposed ₦2 trillion investment target within six months, if achieved, would represent a significant boost to Ebonyi’s economy and rank among the most ambitious private-sector investment mobilisation plans proposed in the state.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The planned visit of the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to Anambra State has sparked controversy following a protest by the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Emma Anosike, that the party was not informed about the visit.
Anosike said the APC in Anambra was never consulted or briefed about the proposed visit, adding that the party was taken aback by reports that the wife of the party’s national leader and presidential candidate, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would be visiting the state without recourse to the state chapter.
He said, “It is indeed strange that the First Lady of our presidential candidate is visiting Anambra State without recourse to the party in the state.
“The party wishes to state categorically that we are not part of the arrangements for the reception of our First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, because the party was never put in the picture.”
Anosike also dismissed the mantra that “The Progressives Are Working Together”, being canvassed by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), describing it as a smokescreen by the ruling party in Anambra to hijack President Tinubu’s re-election from the APC.
He said, “For instance, the APGA-led government in Anambra State did not interface with us on the organisation of the visit, and the party wonders if the progressives are indeed working together.”
The APC chairman, however, said the development would not compromise the First Lady’s visit, urging all APC members and supporters in the state to turn out and give Senator Oluremi Tinubu a warm welcome.
He stressed that despite the party’s reservations over the arrangements, APC members remained committed to welcoming the First Lady to Anambra State.
Former Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Sagir Saleh, has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Saleh, who served as deputy governor under former Governor Isa Yuguda, announced his resignation in a letter submitted to the party leadership in Katagum Local Government Area.
He cited personal reasons for his decision but did not provide further details.
His exit comes amid growing disagreements within the Bauchi APC following the party’s 2027 governorship primary. Other prominent members, including former governorship aspirant Bala Jibrin and Sunusi Kunde, an associate of Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, have also reportedly left the party.
Jibrin, a former National Auditor of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), resigned on August 31, 2026, following his opposition to the emergence of former Bauchi Governor Muhammad Abubakar as the APC’s 2027 governorship candidate.
He had criticised the primary process and questioned how the candidate emerged.
Kunde also resigned from the APC in August, submitting his resignation to the party chairman of Beti Ward in Misau Local Government Area.
The latest departures are coming as efforts continue to resolve internal disputes and disagreements among APC members in the state.
The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has raised the alarm over an alleged plot to assassinate former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 general election.
Ayodele issued the warning in a video shared on his verified X account on Sunday, urging both opposition figures to strengthen their security and remain vigilant.
The cleric did not identify those allegedly behind the purported plot but claimed that attempts were being made to eliminate Obi and Atiku.
According to him, divine intervention would prevent the alleged plan from succeeding.
“Obi and Atiku, be very conscious of your security. They are looking for any means to eliminate Obi and Atiku.
“But God will never allow it to happen. Watch out and be cautious about your security,” he said.
Ayodele also urged President Bola Tinubu to reconsider travelling to the United States, alleging that there were forces in America working against his political fortunes.
The claims come as political activities and realignments intensify ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
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