Politics
Rivers: PDP governors, Wike’s clash expected as NWC meets Wednesday
Barring last-minute changes, the Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, may be heading for a showdown as the party’s National Working Committee meets on Wednesday.
Governance in Rivers State has been partially affected for months due to the ongoing political conflict between Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara, both of whom are PDP members.
The feud has caused a split within the state House of Assembly, with a faction led by Martin Amaewhule supporting Wike, while the other faction, led by Victor Oko-Jumbo, is loyal to Fubara.
Despite efforts by President Bola Tinubu and other prominent figures in Rivers State and across the country to mediate, the conflict persists, with the factions engaging in multiple legal disputes in Port Harcourt and Abuja courts.
Despite a court injunction stopping the PDP from holding congresses in Rivers State, the Amb Umar Damagum-led NWC conducted the congress which handed control of the Rivers State party structure to Wike.
In an open letter addressed to the party leadership, former Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark, accused Wike of using his close relationship with Tinubu to mount undue pressure on Fubara and the PDP.
The PDP governors also expressed support for Fubara, urging the party’s NWC to grant him his “rightful” position as the leader of the party in the state.
In response, Wike, at the PDP secretariat in Port Harcourt, said he would take decisive action in PDP-controlled states.
“Let me assure all of you, not while we live will anybody take away the structure of the PDP from us. But let me tell people, I hear some governors who say they will take over the structure and give it back to somebody.
“I pity those governors because I will put fire in their states. When God has given you peace, you say you don’t want peace – anything you see you take.”
When contacted, the Director General of the PDP Governors Forum, Emmanuel Agbo, stated that a meeting to address Wike’s threat was imminent.
“He addressed the governors specifically. The governors will meet and they will take a position. The Secretariat is to convey their (Governors) positions. Until that is done, I don’t have any take on it,” he said.
When questioned about when the governors would convene, Agbo responded: “Once I get a confirmation, I will let the press know.”
Similarly, the NWC meeting is set to take place on Wednesday (tomorrow) at Wadata Plaza, the PDP national headquarters in Abuja.
A senior NWC member who wished to remain anonymous, as he is not authorised to speak on the matter, indicated that the party leaders were expected to review and discuss the PDP recently-held ward and state congresses, and governors’ position on Rivers in the upcoming meeting.
“We anticipate that the PDP Governors will contact the NWC to convey their stance on Rivers State and their preferred approach.
“If they do, this will be addressed at the NWC meeting. The meeting will also discuss the ongoing litigation involving the defected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly,” the source volunteered.
Recall that the last PDP NWC meeting revealed a clear division among the members.
Damagum and several others approved the conduct of the Rivers congress in favour of Wike despite the court injunction, while the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, and the National Financial Secretary, Daniel Woyegikuro, insisted that the correct procedure should be followed in the interest of Fubara.
On July 8, 2024, the Rivers State High Court issued an ex parte order barring key state officials from engaging with the defected lawmakers.
Unexpectedly, Wike’s lawyers appealed the order without the party’s consent, including that of the National Legal Adviser.
Although Ajibade attempted to withdraw the appeal on July 24, a letter dated August 15 from Damagum and PDP National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, sent to the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt clarified that the PDP was not involved in the withdrawal.
“All these issues will be discussed,” the source said.
A member of the National Executive Committee and former PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, stated that the letter from Damagum and Anyanwu contradicting the National Legal Adviser provides sufficient grounds for the other NWC members to issue a vote of no confidence in the acting national chairman.
In an exclusive chat on Monday, Ologbondiyan stated that it was up to the NWC to save the PDP, adding that Nigerians were looking to the party to rescue them from the maladministration of the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government.
He stated, “Yes, a vote of no confidence should be passed in Damagum. The NWC has more than enough capacity; what warranted that decision was the fact that Damagum, acting as national chairman, and national secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, wrote to the court and contradicted the National Legal Adviser.
“Look, it is up to the National Working Committee to make the decision, and the ball is in their court to handle it as they deem fit. But what we are saying is that you cannot use the authority of your office to go against the National Legal Adviser in court.
“It was an aberration of norms. The constitution is clear on the role of the National Legal Adviser. What the national chairman and the national secretary did was a violation of the constitution. I do not foresee a situation in which nothing will be done, and I do not want to contemplate it.”
Another member of the National Executive Committee and the party’s National Deputy Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha, urged the NWC to treat Fubara like other governors regarding party structure.
In an exclusive interview, Osuoha stated, “What is applicable is that the governor of the state is the leader of the party in the state.
“The structure of the party is anchored on the state governor. Therefore, the NWC should apply what happened in other states to Rivers.
“In other states where the PDP has a governor, the structure of the party revolves around the governor. So whatever has been done in other states should be reciprocated in Rivers. After all, all states in Nigeria are equal, and they must consider the important role Rivers State plays in Nigeria. We cannot afford to lose control of the state.”
Also commenting, the PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, said there should be no pretence or delay among Rivers State party stakeholders and the NWC in implementing the PDP governors’ position.
Osadolor, in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, stated, “And what is more important is that an amicable resolution to the Rivers imbroglio is achieved for the party’s interest.
“What I know is that there is no dispute as to who the leader of the party in Rivers is and that is Governor Sim Fubara.”
On Wike’s response to the PDP governors, Osadolor said, “I think the speech by ex-Governor Wike was very unnecessary and unsavoury.
“Wike’s statement is unfortunate. A man who should be busy apologising to the party or trying to seek reconciliation should not be grandstanding, throwing tantrums, and issuing threats to governors who are keeping the party’s flag flying.
“So I think it’s high time the Governors’ Forum and the NWC sit down and take a position on leaders like Wike, no matter how highly placed or how much interest the person has. They need to address such leaders squarely and draw the line firmly and clearly.”
Osadolor, who called on the party’s organs to respond appropriately to Wike, stated that his ongoing attacks on the party would no longer be tolerated.
“This is important so that in the future, we won’t have these types of people playing larger than life. The party is supreme and must act as a supreme entity. I believe that an adequate response should be given to the threat he was making.
“As an officer of the party, I would think that he has made one statement too many. It’s time to tell him that, look, you’re either in or you’re out.
“What that means is that if he wants to be in the party, he must play by and live by the rules. If he wants to be outside the party, let him be outside the party umbrella and throw his tantrums. But his move to remain in the party while undermining it will not be tolerated,” he said.
On Monday, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, suggested that Wike had been called to appear before the PDP disciplinary committee, led by Tom Ikimi, due to his involvement in anti-party activities during the 2023 elections.
Abdullahi, while appearing on Channels Television’s programme, Sunrise Daily, said “Three weeks ago, we put up two committees in place, that of reconciliation and disciplinary, and Nyesom Wike is one of the persons to face the disciplinary committee, which is headed by elder statesman, Chief Tom Ikimi.
“The disciplinary committee will look into issues of anti-party activities. We’ve been receiving petitions regarding anti-party activities or sabotaging the party throughout the primary, leading to where we are now.
“These petitions against Wike and other party members have been aggregated and sent to the committee.
“Some party members even felt that Wike shouldn’t have gotten to this level still as a member of the PDP and they have been writing to the leadership.”
When contacted, Ologunagba, who played down any showdown in the forthcoming NWC meeting over Rivers matter, confirmed that other NEC members had been expressing their views in support of the Governors’ Forum.
On the possible showdown, Ologunagba stated, “I don’t work on speculations. It would be premature to assume that will happen.
“People have been expressing their views, which align with what the PDP Governors said in Taraba. That will be formally presented before the NWC meeting, and the NWC will discuss and take appropriate actions in line with those advisories and in accordance with the party’s constitution, which recognises the governor as the leader of the party.
“So we will wait for the matter to come before the NWC,” he added.
Ologunagba, while addressing a world press conference in Abuja, on Monday, confronted Wike, asserting that no one was above the party.
He said the Governors’ forum would resolve the Rivers crisis according to the party’s guidelines.
“We believe, and I will say this, that the Governors’ Forum remains one of the most potent organs of this party. We recognise and salute their courage and their contributions to the development of the party. We acknowledge their stabilising role and their reconciliatory efforts for the party.
“There is a connection between Nigerians and the PDP because it is called the Peoples Democratic Party. It is not a party of joiners, people who just came together for business or special purposes. It was founded on values, principles, and vision, which are well stated.
“The Governors’ Forum is a body with its regulations, and they address issues like this as they arise, particularly when they concern them. I respect the Governors’ Forum and believe they will address the matter.
“What we know is that nobody is above this party, and we must take that to heart. It’s like justice: the wheel of justice grinds slowly but ultimately grinds well.
“We urge our governors to do what is necessary to ensure stability in their states. The only way they can achieve stability is through performance. If you compare PDP governors with governors from other parties, you will find that PDP governors are oases of development,” he said.
Aggrieved aspirants in Taraba, Kano, Jigawa, Anambra, Benue, Kogi, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Rivers and Plateau states are mobilising petitions and posapc-screening-crisis-deepens-ahead-of-2027-primariessible legal challenges over the outcome of the party’s screening exercises.
The screening process, designed to prune the number of aspirants ahead of party primaries, has generated controversy in multiple states, with several disqualified hopefuls preparing to seek redress through appeal committees.
In some states, protests have already erupted, while party stakeholders warned that attempts to impose candidates could trigger defections, anti-party activities and deepen internal divisions ahead of the primaries.
Taraba: Backlash Over Senator Lau’s Endorsement
In Taraba State, the endorsement of Senator Shuaibu Isa Lau reportedly backed by party stakeholders after the screening exercise, sparked fierce backlash, especially in Taraba North Senatorial District.
Stakeholders and youth groups rejected the endorsement, accusing the senator of poor performance.
A stakeholder from Karim Lamido LGA, Paul Penuel, described the senator’s tenure as “a complete failure,” insisting there was no record of impactful projects or measurable achievements to justify another term.
Another constituent, Dickson Kwinde, warned that repeating what he termed a “costly political mistake” could alienate voters.
Similarly, the Coalition of Concerned Youths and Voice of the Proletariat in Karim Lamido also rejected the endorsement.
Party sources disclosed that some aggrieved aspirants had begun preparing petitions alleging procedural irregularities, manipulation by political godfathers and attempts to impose consensus candidates without proper consultation.
Kano: Consensus Deal Sparks Protest
In Kano State, over 20 aspirants seeking Senate, House of Representatives and State Assembly tickets were reportedly screened out despite earlier consensus arrangements.
Among those affected were former Head of Service, Usman Bala; former lawmaker, Sha’aban Sharada; Muhammad Zango; Danyaro Yakasai; Abbas Abbas; Shehu Driver and Abdulkarim Abdulsalam Zaura in the Kano Central Senatorial contest.
However, APC Publicity Secretary Auwal Soja confirmed that six aspirants eventually stepped down for former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau after a reconciliation meeting.
Despite the arrangement, protests persisted, with a group known as Coalition for Better Kano faulting Shekarau’s endorsement and warning against sacrificing loyalty for political expediency.
Efforts by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to reconcile aggrieved aspirants reportedly suffered setbacks after key stakeholders boycotted the peace meeting.
Jigawa: Disqualification Triggers Defection
In Jigawa State, the fallout from the screening exercise resulted in resignation and defection.
Former Speaker of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, Isah Idris, resigned from the APC after he was disqualified and replaced by another aspirant.
In his resignation letter, Idris lamented what he described as the party’s departure from its founding principles before defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party.
Another former Speaker, Idris Garba, and serving lawmaker Abubakar Sadiq were also edged out, heightening fears of deeper cracks within the state chapter.
Benue: Zoning Dispute Emerges
In Benue State, about 40 aspirants were reportedly disqualified during the screening of House of Assembly hopefuls in Makurdi.
The disqualifications generated anger among supporters who accused the party of violating zoning arrangements and excluding certain blocs from representation.
Supporters warned that failure to address the grievances could hurt the party electorally during the general elections.
Kogi: Aspirants Allege “Commando Arrangement”
In Kogi State, protests and accusations of authoritarianism followed allegations that nomination forms were selectively distributed to preferred aspirants under what critics described as a “Commando arrangement.”
A party chieftain, Chief Femi Olugbemi, accused the state leadership of abandoning democratic principles and sidelining aspirants with strong grassroots support.
The controversy has fuelled fears of mass defections and legal disputes within the state chapter.
Anambra: APC Expels 30 Members
In Anambra State, the APC expelled 30 members, including Senate and House of Representatives aspirants, for instituting legal action against the party.
The state Publicity Secretary, Valentine Iyiegbu, said the expulsions were in line with the party constitution.
According to him, the affected members could only be reconsidered if they withdrew their court cases against the party.
Kaduna: Consensus Crisis Intensifies
In Kaduna State, controversy erupted over moves to impose consensus candidates for National Assembly positions, despite peaceful House of Assembly screening exercises.
The crisis is particularly intense in Kaduna Central Senatorial District, where former lawmaker and activist Shehu Sani is reportedly being favoured as a consensus candidate.
The arrangement has been rejected by former Speaker Yusuf Ibrahim Zailani and activist Yarima Shettima, who warned against political manipulation and backroom deals.
Ebonyi: Aspirant Resigns Over Consensus Arrangement
In Ebonyi State, disqualified candidates also expressed dissatisfaction with the process.
An aspirant for Ebonyi Central Senatorial District, Chief Christian Nwali, resigned from the APC in protest after losing out in the consensus arrangement adopted by the state chapter.
Nwali, an ally of Works Minister David Umahi, announced his resignation with immediate effect.
Rivers: 65 Aspirants Disqualified
In Rivers State, no fewer than 65 aspirants were disqualified by the APC House of Assembly Screening Appeal Committee.
The committee chairman, human rights lawyer Abdul Mahmud, disclosed that only 33 aspirants were cleared ahead of the primaries.
Mahmud revealed that the panel had already received multiple petitions from aggrieved aspirants, many of whom complained that their disqualification was only discovered through social media posts rather than official communication from the party.
He advised the party to improve its communication process in future exercises.
Plateau APC Braces for Fallout
In Plateau State, the APC is reportedly preparing for possible fallout following reports that several House of Assembly aspirants were screened out ahead of the official release of results.
Party insiders fear that unresolved grievances could trigger further divisions within the state chapter ahead of the primaries.
By Okey Maduforo Awka
The former member that represented Anambra East and West Federal Constituency Chief Chinedu Obidigwe has denied a social media handle where he was said to have made Prof Charles Soludo the Governor of Anambra state.
Obidigwe further stated that the report did neither emanate from him or from his Media Aides urging the party not to believe what he called attempt at setting a negative agenda in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Obidigwe who is an Aspirant of the party for the Anambra East and West Federal Constituency accused enemies of the party being sponsored by opposition parties to creat problems .
According to the Media Assistant to Obidigwe Mr Dominic Okagbue in a statement;
“The attention of Hon. Chinedu Benjamin Obidigwe has been drawn to misleading and unfounded claims/propaganda being circulated on various social media platforms through a pseudo account, alleging that Obidigwe said he installed the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, as Governor in 2021”
“We wish to state, without any iota of equivocation, that such a statement never emanated from Hon. Chinedu Obidigwe. It is a desperate move by his political enemies who are bent on tarnishing his image as a tool and technique to advance their unmerited aspirations”
“Obidigwe, in 2021, was merely an electorate with just one vote. Even though he voted for the Governor and APGA, the question remains: can one man’s vote make a Governor?”
“Governor Soludo was elected and made Governor through the collective votes of Ndi Anambra, both in his first and second terms. We therefore call on the reading public to disregard such rumours and treat them as faceless and unfounded allegations geared towards the character assassination of an innocent man” he said.
A former Kano State Governor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Rabiu Kwankwaso, says northern political leaders conducted a deliberate assessment of potential allies before settling on Peter Obi as the most capable partner to prosecute the 2027 presidential campaign.
He dismissed concerns about a hidden power struggle between his camp and Obi’s.Politics
Kwankwaso made the disclosure in an interview on Arise TV on Monday, offering one of his most detailed accounts yet of how the North-Southeast political alliance within the NDC was formed.
“I looked around together with our leadership in the north to say, okay, who do we think is capable? Who can come and work together with us honestly so that we can move this country? Along the line, we realised that Peter Obi is at the forefront of it. That’s why we all accepted to work together,” he said.Political candidate profile
Kwankwaso, a two-term former governor of Kano State and the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party in 2023, leads the Kwankwasiyya movement, a grassroots political force with deep loyalty across Kano and parts of northern Nigeria.Nigeria travel guide
He left the NNPP amid internal disputes before joining the NDC alongside Obi earlier this month.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, ran on the Labour Party platform in 2023 and drew massive youth-driven support across the South and urban centres, though he did not win.
Both men formally joined the NDC on Sunday, May 3, defecting from the crisis-hit African Democratic Congress.Politics
At the party’s national convention on Saturday in Abuja, Kwankwaso backed the NDC’s decision to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, describing it as a step toward fairness, healing and national cohesion.
Responding to a question about whether the alliance concealed a quiet rivalry between both camps, Kwankwaso argued that friction between principals and their deputies was a product of greed, not structural tension.
“The problem people are having, especially leaders, is that they are too greedy to the extent that they begin to have issues. There is so much to do. You don’t have to fight your deputy,” he said.
He said his record as a former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, and later as governor of Kano State, showed that political partnerships could hold under pressure.
“I had an opportunity to work with my speaker and we worked very well. I was in Kano for eight years despite the difficulty of my then deputy governor. We were able to work for eight years amicably to the extent that I handed over to him,” he said.
Kwankwaso extended the argument beyond his personal experience, saying the same principle applied at the federal level.
In the Senate and other places, in the NDDC, we worked amicably with people. There is so much to be done and that’s why you have even ministers, other executives, advisors and so on. I don’t see from my experiences of the past why deputies or vice would fight with the president or governor,” he said.
He grounded the alliance in Nigerian political history, tracing a lineage of productive North-Southeast partnerships from the first republic to the present.Nigeria travel guide
“Right from the beginning, this sort of alliance has been in existence. Now we are going back to what Tafawa Balewa did during their time,” he said.
He also referenced the collaboration between former Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa and leaders of the NCNC, as well as that of former President Shehu Shagari and his vice president, Alex Ekwueme, in the second republic.
“So also in the second republic, immediately after the war, our leaders, Shagari and others, worked very closely with the southeast, with Alex Ekwueme as his vice president. They are our friends. We want to work together with them,” he said.Politics
Kwankwaso also noted that subsequent administrations had shifted power-sharing away from the South-East, a pattern he suggested the current alliance was correcting.
“There was a change during the third republic where for many obvious reasons an election was annulled and the government under the military decided to bring in Shonekan from the South-West.
Even after that, the military and other leaders worked together and brought in Chief Olusegun Obasanjo from the South-West again. Even Bola Tinubu probably is a beneficiary of all that,” he said.
He was emphatic that the choice of Obi was not driven by regional sentiment alone.
“It wasn’t just because we are going to the South-West just because of the South-West. No. We realised that Peter Obi is at the forefront of it and that’s why we all accepted to work together,” he said.Political candidate profile
The movement of both men into the NDC has triggered a wave of defections, with senators, House of Representatives members and political blocs aligned with their former coalition gravitating toward the new party, rapidly reshaping calculations ahead of the 2027 elections.
The alliance pairs Kwankwaso’s northern grassroots structure and disciplined voter mobilisation with Obi’s national youth engagement and urban electoral momentum, positioning the NDC as one of the main opposition platforms set to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2027
Former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso has dismissed suggestions that his exit from the African Democratic Congress has created a damaging split in the opposition.
He said he and Atiku Abubakar may yet work together before the 2027 general election.
Kwankwaso spoke in an interview on Arise TV on Monday, responding to concerns that his move to the Nigeria Democratic Congress alongside Peter Obi had effectively divided the opposition into two competing blocs ahead of the polls.
“Now, we may still work together before the election. I personally, and I think even Obi himself, decided to leave ADC not because we are fighting with Atiku or anybody there. We decided to leave that party because we realised that there are some issues,” he said
He said the ADC was contending with three major unresolved problems that he believed would make it difficult for the party to field candidates, without specifying what those issues were.
“Whether they will be able to field candidates in that party or not is just a matter of time. It’s not like we had a primary election,” he said
The remarks come after Atiku recently claimed on Arise TV that Kwankwaso’s popularity was confined to Kano State and further divided there by Governor Abba Yusuf.
Atiku, who is seeking the presidency on the ADC platform, also described himself as the most popular politician of northern extraction, saying none of his contemporaries, including Kwankwaso, Aminu Tambuwal and Nasir El-Rufai, commanded a voter base across the North as wide as his.
Kwankwaso did not engage the slight directly, but made clear he bore no grudge.
“Politics is just like a game. I’m not fighting anybody and I’m not expecting anybody to fight me. I have no issue with that. I think we are past that level now,” he said.
He challenged those predicting a vote split in Kano to wait for the election result before drawing conclusions.
“Let’s wait for the election and see whether votes are split in Kano or not,” he said.
Kwankwaso also acknowledged a history of working with Atiku, recalling that he served as the former vice president’s northern coordinator during the 2019 presidential election.
“There was an election in 2019 in Port Harcourt. He won the election. I was his coordinator for the north. We worked for him,” he said.
He traced his broader relationship with Atiku to the 2015 APC presidential primary in Lagos, where he placed second behind Muhammadu Buhari, with Atiku third.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The Anambra State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expelled 30 members of the party for instituting legal actions against the party.
The affected members include some aspirants for the National Assembly, and their expulsion may disqualify them from participating in the party’s primary elections.
Disclosing this shortly after the meeting of the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the party, the State Publicity Secretary, Dr. Sir Valentine Iyiegbu, told reporters that the decision was in line with Section 21, Subsection 5 of the party’s constitution.
“The party discussed those who took the party to court, and many of them are contesting for the House of Representatives tickets of the party,” he said.
“The matter comes up tomorrow, and the SEC stated that what the party constitution stipulates would be followed, which is outright expulsion from the party under Article 21, Subsection 5.”
“The SEC actually ratified their expulsion because they did not exhaust all the internal avenues provided by the party to resolve their grievances,” he added.
Iyiegbu noted that the only reprieve available to the expelled members would be for them to withdraw their court cases.
“It is only when the matters are withdrawn from the court that the party can consider listening to them,” he said.
Speaking on the party’s primary elections, he explained:
“In the case of those contesting for the tickets of the Federal House of Representatives, all the eleven positions have aspirants, while for the Senate, the three positions are also being contested. The screening committees were here to perform their duties,” he noted.
The party also ratified the appointment of a five-man Primary Elections Committee headed by Sir Izuchukwu Okeke, the State Organising Secretary of the party.
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