Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has urged the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to urgently resolve its internal disputes ahead of the 2027 general elections or risk losing relevance in the race for major political offices.
Wike made the remarks on Monday during a media chat at his office in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, where he warned that the party’s continued infighting could seriously undermine its chances of returning to power.
He said the PDP currently lacks direction, arguing that the leadership has failed to demonstrate the focus required to rebuild the party after the 2023 elections.
“We have a leadership that is not focused, we have a leadership that does not know what to do or take any suggestions. If the leadership is committed and comes back to say we have made a mistake, why is it that things are happening this way, and what do we do to make corrections?” Wike said.
According to him, winning elections goes beyond ambition and requires careful positioning and strategic planning.
“It is not just to take over the government; you have to position yourself. If the leadership is like that, you say look by 2027, it is likely that we may not make it, but are we going to allow the party to die?
“Can’t we start to build up and let us make the right decision against 2027. It is all dependent on the leadership that is what I will say,” he added.
The PDP has remained embroiled in internal crises since the 2023 general elections, a situation that has led to the defection of several prominent members, including sitting governors, to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
During the interview, the former Rivers State governor also ridiculed the PDP National Convention held on November 15 in Ibadan, Oyo State, describing it in mocking terms.
He accused Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, of seeking absolute control of the party and allegedly securing an ex parte court order in Ibadan to ensure the convention went ahead.
Wike and Makinde, once close political allies, have recently fallen out, with tensions between both camps escalating in recent weeks.
On December 23, Governor Makinde accused Wike of working to weaken the PDP in support of President Bola Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
Makinde made the allegation while recounting what he described as discussions involving President Tinubu and Wike, warning that such political moves could undermine Nigeria’s multiparty democracy.
Speaking during a media briefing at the Government House in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Makinde disclosed that President Tinubu had previously asked him to assist in organising the APC in Oyo State, a request he said he declined.
“The President said, ‘No Seyi, it is you that I want to help me organise APC in Oyo’ and I said, ‘No sir, I am of the PDP; I can never help you organise the APC in Oyo State’. If we had a government of national unity, a government of national competence, we would have been in a very different environment right now,” Makinde said.
The Oyo governor further alleged that during a meeting attended by President Tinubu, Wike, the president’s chief of staff and other officials, the FCT minister openly offered to hold the PDP for the president ahead of the 2027 elections.
Makinde said the remark shocked him and heightened his fears that deliberate efforts were underway to weaken the opposition and steer the country toward a one-party system.
What you should know
The deepening rift within the PDP reflects broader challenges facing Nigeria’s opposition parties since the 2023 elections.
Key figures within the party remain divided over leadership structure, loyalty, and strategy ahead of 2027. The public exchange between Nyesom Wike and Seyi Makinde underscores concerns about internal trust, alleged cross-party alliances, and the future strength of opposition politics in Nigeria’s democratic landscape.
How the PDP manages these disputes may determine its survival and competitiveness in the next general election cycle.
