PDP Bows to Wike’s Demands in Bid to Heal Party Rift Before 2027
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has conceded to key demands from former Rivers State governor and current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, in a calculated effort to unify the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Party insiders told Vanguard on Sunday that the leadership has agreed to zone its presidential ticket to the South, appoint Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary, and maintain the South-South/South-East zoning tradition — all of which were conditions Wike had insisted on.
“The party has sat down and agreed to address everything Wike wants,” a senior PDP figure confirmed. “He wants Anyanwu as secretary, and a firm declaration that the presidential ticket will go South. These have been accepted, so there’s no basis for Wike to keep fighting the party.”
The decision comes as the once-powerful G5 faction — formed in the run-up to the 2023 elections to oppose the party’s leadership under Senator Iyorchia Ayu and its candidate Atiku Abubakar — has withered to just three members. Wike now stands alongside only former governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), with Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo) having stepped away.
“Even if they call themselves the G5 or G3, they’re no longer a formidable force,” another insider said.
Party strategists see pacifying Wike as crucial to shoring up support in the South-South and South-East ahead of the PDP’s November convention, where leadership and zoning decisions will be finalised.
Meanwhile, speculation over former President Goodluck Jonathan’s potential 2027 bid continues to stir political waters. Some PDP figures believe a Jonathan–Kwankwaso ticket could transform the race — and even persuade Labour Party leader Peter Obi to step aside.
One source warned, however, that the Northern political bloc retains a structural advantage “Saturday elections give the Hausa-Fulani bloc an edge. They meet on Fridays to finalise strategies, and enter election day fully coordinated. This tradition has been a major factor in their political dominance.”
