The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has accused the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of arrogance, impunity, and disregard for due process, warning that concerned party stakeholders will not compromise their demand for justice and internal democracy.
Wike stated this in Abuja during a closed-door meeting with concerned PDP stakeholders following Friday’s court judgment that stopped the party’s proposed national convention by a faction of the PDP leadership.
The court also affirmed Chief Dan Osi Orbih as the authentic National Vice Chairman (South-South) of the PDP, declaring the purported appointment of Chief Emmanuel Ogidi null and void.
The meeting, held in Lifecamp, brought together PDP’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, former Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Senator Philip Aduda, Hon. Micah Jiba, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, some members of the Board of Trustees, and lawmakers from the South-East, South-South, and North Central zones.
In his remarks before the session went into closed-door discussions, Wike said recent developments in the opposition party represents “one of my happiest and saddest days.”
He said he was pleased that the courts had intervened to stop “impunity and illegal actions,” but saddened by the state of disunity and disregard for process within the PDP.
“If you love your party, you will not be happy with what is going on. The essence of an opposition party is to wrest power from the ruling party, and therefore, we must put our house in order and follow due process to give confidence to the public that we can do things differently,” Wike said.
The FCT Minister emphasised that leadership failure within the PDP had brought the once formidable political movement to its lowest point, warning that arrogance and selfish interests were eroding the party’s credibility.
“Leadership is key in everything. When people become arrogant and believe nobody matters, when they fail to recognize the role played by others in sustaining the party, then such leadership does not mean well for the party,” he said.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, recounted that during previous political crises, he and other governors stood firm against attempts to destroy the PDP, even under pressure and intimidation.
He lamented that the current generation of leaders had failed to demonstrate the same level of commitment and courage.
“I’ve never seen a head of a family who will watch his children die and say, ‘I don’t care.’ But today, we have leaders who do not care if the party collapses. We will not allow that. Justice must prevail,” he stated.
Speaking on the court ruling that halted the party’s planned national convention, Wike described it as “a wise and courageous decision,” stressing that no one should act above the law.
“The law is clear. You must follow due process before taking any action. The purported national convention could not stand because it violated our party’s constitution and the Electoral Act,” he declared.
He accused some leaders of attempting to hijack the party’s internal processes for personal gain, zoning positions and allocating resources without consultation or transparency.
“Few people cannot sit in their houses and decide positions as they like. It has never been this bad in the PDP. We will not allow a few individuals to pocket the party,” he warned.
Wike commended members of the party who, despite threats and intimidation, stood firm to challenge what he called “illegality and fraud.”
“Some of you received threats, some were blackmailed, but you refused to back down. You have shown courage. History will remember you,” he told the stakeholders.
He also accused some governors of misusing federal allocations meant for development, saying such funds should be used to improve infrastructure and reduce unemployment, not to “destroy the party.”
“The money available to states today was never available when we were governors. Use it to build your states, not to kill our party. We will not agree,” he insisted.
While reaffirming his commitment to dialogue, Wike noted that while the concerned stakeholders remained open to reconciliation, they would not yield to blackmail or manipulation.
“We are still open to discussion, but we will not succumb to intimidation. Nobody will use us to negotiate away justice. Enough is enough,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the concerned PDP stakeholders described the court’s decision as a landmark decision that has restored legality, discipline, and constitutional order in the opposition party.
A communiqué read by Ikpeazu after the stakeholders’ meeting, signed by some party leaders from across the six geopolitical zones, expressed appreciation to the judiciary for “its courage in upholding truth over impunity,” adding that the verdict has “restored confidence in the PDP as a law-abiding institution.
“We, the Eminent Leaders and Concerned Stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), met in Abuja to review the landmark judgment delivered today by the Federal High Court, Abuja, affirming the supremacy of the Party’s Constitution and the rule of law.
“We restate our unwavering commitment to the principles of fairness, justice, equity, and inclusivity — the founding pillars of our great Party and commend the Judiciary for its courage in upholding truth over impunity,” the communiqué read in part.
They observed that the judgment reaffirmed the supremacy of the PDP Constitution and clarified the lawful roles of party officers in managing its affairs.
The communique maintained that all correspondences with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must be jointly signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary, with the latter remaining the principal signatory to official communications.
In addition, the stakeholders hailed the court’s confirmation of the expulsion of Ali Odefa, which they said would “restore integrity and discipline” in the party’s administration, stressing that “persons expelled from the Party have no locus standi to act or litigate on its behalf.”
They also emphasised that no valid national convention can be held until the party fully complies with all constitutional and legal provisions governing such gatherings.
The communiqué noted that the plaintiffs’ action was not interference in the PDP’s internal affairs but “a patriotic effort to ensure that INEC performs its constitutional duties in enthroning internal democracy in political party administration in Nigeria.”
