A fresh wave of turmoil has erupted within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the embattled National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, announced the expulsion of several prominent party leaders, including Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, and elder statesman Chief Bode George.
The sweeping sanctions also targeted the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara; newly sworn-in National Chairman, Tanimu Turaki (SAN); Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja, and others aligned with the Ibadan convention leadership.
This dramatic escalation follows last Saturday’s contentious national convention in Ibadan, where Wike and his loyalists were expelled—an outcome his faction has now countered with parallel expulsions and structural overhauls.
According to the communiqué read by Senator Anyanwu, the faction’s NEC accused the affected leaders of breaching Articles 58(1) and 59(1) of the PDP Constitution, citing alleged anti-party activities, disobedience to court orders, and conduct deemed injurious to the party’s integrity.
The faction further dissolved the State Executive Councils of Bauchi, Oyo, Zamfara, Yobe, Lagos, Edo, and Ekiti States, directing the immediate formation of caretaker committees and the organisation of fresh congresses. Edo State, under Barr. Nosa Ogieva-Okunbor, was the only exception, as its exco was approved.
In a dramatic extension of disciplinary measures, the faction ordered former South-East Zonal Chairman, Chief Ali Odefa, to refund all salaries and allowances collected after his December 2024 expulsion. They also confirmed acting positions within the National Working Committee, including the ratification of Hon. Chidiebere Egwu Goodluck as Acting National Vice Chairman (South East).
The communiqué added that legal proceedings would begin immediately to recover the seats of all elected officials who defected from the PDP, invoking Sections 68(1)(g) and 109(1)(g) of the Constitution.
Despite its hardline actions, the faction announced plans for a party-wide reconciliation effort—though with a caveat that unity must not come at the cost of discipline. A nationwide membership audit is also expected to begin ahead of the 2027 general elections.
This intensifying crisis underscores the deepening fractures within the PDP, with both camps issuing expulsions, dissolving structures, and claiming legitimacy. Analysts warn that unless a unified leadership emerges soon, the party may face its most consequential internal breakdown in two decades.