“Makinde vs. Wike: Former Allies Clash for PDP Control Ahead of 2025 Convention”
The battle for supremacy within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has escalated sharply, pitting two former allies—Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike—against each other in a struggle that threatens to destabilize the party ahead of its August 2025 national convention.
Once united as part of the influential G-5 governors who opposed Atiku Abubakar’s 2023 presidential campaign, Makinde and Wike have now become fierce rivals. Makinde has aligned himself with the PDP national leadership and formed a new alliance with Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah. Wike, meanwhile, retains the support of Plateau’s Caleb Muftwang, Adamawa’s Ahmadu Fintiri, and former G-5 governors Samuel Ortom, Okezie Ikpeazu, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
The tension boiled over during a recent governors’ meeting in Ibadan, where a majority rejected the reinstatement of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary—a move strongly backed by Wike. In retaliation, Wike convened a separate meeting in Abuja with his loyalists, excluding Makinde, and demanded the postponement of the August convention.
Despite Wike’s efforts, party insiders confirmed to newsmen that the convention will proceed as scheduled. “There’s no going back,” a top PDP chieftain declared, affirming that Wike’s communique and press conference would not derail either the convention or the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting set for June 30.
In the statement released by the Wike-led faction, they warned that recognizing Sunday Ude-Okoye instead of Anyanwu as National Secretary would cause chaos in the party. The faction also demanded that the 2027 presidential ticket be zoned to the South and insisted on reaffirming Anyanwu’s legitimacy, noting only he has the constitutional authority to issue official party meeting notices.
However, Wike’s stance has drawn sharp criticism from senior party figures. PDP Board of Trustees member Chief Bode George cautioned that no individual can hijack the party’s structure, emphasizing that only NEC decisions are binding. “These guys should calm down. We have no emperors in our party,” George said.
Former PDP National Secretary Senator Ibrahim Tsauri was even more direct, accusing Wike of undermining the party by openly supporting President Tinubu’s re-election, thereby losing his moral authority to influence the convention. Tsauri insisted the convention would not be postponed.
South-West PDP leader Eddy Olafeso rejected Wike’s legal argument for Anyanwu’s reinstatement, while National Organising Secretary Captain Umar Bature supported the move based on a Supreme Court ruling.
Meanwhile, PDP organs in the South-West and Bauchi states dismissed Wike’s communique as illegitimate, clarifying that decisions about the convention’s timing rest solely with the party’s national leadership.
Speaking for the South-West PDP, Vice Chairman Kamoru Ajisafe stated, “The NWC has made its position clear. We currently have an acting National Secretary and will proceed to the NEC meeting on June 30.”
In Bauchi, PDP spokesman Dayyabu Ciroma emphasized that convention scheduling and party structure are national issues beyond state chapter influence.
The Oyo State PDP chapter also downplayed Wike’s Abuja gathering, describing it as a meeting of “followers and friends” without official party sanction. Publicity Secretary Michael Ogunsina stated, “The meeting holds no weight. It was not a gathering of the party’s critical stakeholders.”
Governor Makinde, who skipped the Abuja meeting, hosted the party’s reconciliation committee chairman, Senator Bukola Saraki, reaffirming his loyalty to the party’s recognized leadership and processes.
As the PDP approaches its critical convention, the rivalry between Makinde and Wike underscores deep divisions threatening the party’s unity and effectiveness as Nigeria’s main opposition force.
