Wike storms PDP Governors’ meeting as Saraki, Makinde, others scramble to save PDP

In a surprise move that sent ripples through the ranks of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, made an unexpected appearance at a high-level PDP Governors’ Forum meeting in Abuja on Sunday night.

The development, described by insiders as both dramatic and potentially pivotal, marks Wike’s first formal participation in a PDP gathering in several months, coming at a time when the opposition party is grappling with internal crises and a wave of defections.

Wike, who played a central role in the G5 faction of aggrieved PDP governors and has maintained close ties with the ruling APC-led federal government, arrived at the meeting venue around 9:23 p.m. His attendance raised eyebrows, considering his long-standing differences with the PDP national leadership and speculation about his political future.

The meeting, convened at the instance of the PDP Governors’ Forum and chaired by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, brought together six serving governors and an array of former governors under the party’s banner. Among the attendees were Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Peter Mbah (Enugu), and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara). Notably absent was Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, who has been the subject of rumors linking him to a potential defection to the APC.

Already seated at the venue before Wike’s arrival were his G5 allies — former governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu). Their attendance further fueled speculation that the bloc may be inching closer to renewed engagement with the PDP mainstream.

Governor Makinde, the fifth member of the G5 and a sitting governor, has continued to play the role of mediator between both factions of the party. Representing the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) are Acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum, National Organizing Secretary, Umar Bature, and National Legal Adviser, Kamardeen Ajibade.

Discussions during the closed-door session were said to have focused on how to halt the ongoing wave of defections from the party, reposition the PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections, and address lingering internal rifts—most notably, the unresolved dispute between Wike and the party’s national leadership stemming from the contentious 2022 presidential primaries.

Although no official communiqué had been issued at the time of filing this report, party insiders described Wike’s attendance as a positive development and possibly a turning point, especially if it paves the way for the return of his influential faction to the party’s mainstream activities.