Wike Meets Top PDP Leaders, Strategizes Ahead of National Convention
- Nyesom Wike, the minister of the FCT, has met with some prominent leaders of the PDP at his residence in Abuja on Monday, May 9
- The meeting between Wike and other closed allies came ahead of the PDP’s planned national convention, scheduled for August
- Though Wike remained a PDP member, he is a minister under President Bola Tinubu and the APC-led federal government
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has held a closed-door meeting with some prominent members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the southeast and South-South regions of the country.
According to sources, the meeting, which was held at the official residence of the minister in Abuja on Monday, June 9, was to stop the planned PDP national convention.
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike meets PDP leaders in Abuja
Photo Credit: @GovWikeSource: Twitter
PDP governors fix date for national convention
Recall that the governors elected on the platform of the PDP recently fixed August 28 for the party’s national convention, a resolution reached at their meeting in April in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
At the national convention, new national working committee (NWC) members, who will be responsible for the day-to-day activities of the PDP, are expected to be elected at the event.
However, who has repeatedly claimed to remain a member of the PDP, is a strong ally of President Bola Tinubu, the leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Wike is believed to be holding down the PDP to boost the chances of President Tinubu in the 2027 election.
Wike working to change PDP national convention date
According to The Cable, sources disclosed that Wike is proposing the shifting of the convention to October. He was reportedly losing his hold on the leading opposition party as the acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, allegedly broke ranks with him.
However, the PDP national secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, remains loyal to Wike, who served as a two-term governor of Rivers state from 2015 to 2023.
A PDP member reportedly said:
“If the convention holds in August as planned, Wike may lose out completely, so the plan is to stall the convention to allow enough time to strategise.”
FCT Minister hosts some PDP leaders at his residence
Photo Credit: @GovWikeSource: Twitter
How the PDP crisis started
The PDP has been plunged into a leadership crisis following the outcome of the 2023 general election, where the party lost with a close margin to the APC.
In an attempt to redeem its glory, the party’s governors formed a reconciliatory committee, which was headed by the former Senate President, Bukola Saraki. Saraki had since made the move to unite the party by meeting with all aggrieved members, including Wike’s camp.
Amaechi fires major shots at Wike
TheTalk.NG earlier reported that Former Rivers state governor Rotimi Amaechi has described FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, as a child who is politically below him.
Amaechi, a minister under Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, explained that he once hired Wike as his chief of staff, and he would have fired him.
Wike recently hit back at Amaechi for claiming he was hungry, stating that the latter was merely hungry for power.
Source: TheTalk.NG
