The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), founded in 1998, has experienced various internal crises over the years. However, its most recent and ongoing crisis can be traced to the party’s 2022 presidential primary, where former presidential aspirant and now Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, was defeated by Atiku Abubakar.
Before the 2022 primary, Atiku had contested for the presidency multiple times. In 2014, while a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he ran for the party’s presidential ticket against Muhammadu Buhari and other contenders. Buhari won the primary, while Atiku placed third behind Buhari and Rabiu Kwankwaso.
In 2017, Atiku rejoined the PDP and contested the 2019 presidential election. He won the party’s ticket but lost the general election to Buhari. After that defeat, several PDP chieftains accused Atiku of negligence during the campaign, arguing that his poor performance significantly contributed to the party’s loss.
In 2022, Atiku again contested the PDP primary against Wike and other aspirants. After securing the party’s ticket, many PDP leaders expected him to choose Wike as his running mate. Instead, Atiku selected former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, a decision that triggered ongoing factionalism within the party. This internal division has weakened the PDP’s unity and grassroots support, resulting in the defection of many members across the country since 2023.
According to former presidential aspirant of the party, who has also resigned from the PDP to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition party, Dele Momodu, in January, while speaking on Arise TV said, “the crisis started when the then-Governor Wike lost to Atiku Abubakar in the primary and the bid for the running mate.
“And when I say moved, I’m not talking about physically, but maybe spiritually; he (Wike) is within the APC today. However, he is yet to find the courage to physically join the APC because he knows he would not be able to wield the kind of power he wielded in PDP. Right now, where his friends are holding sway, he is empowering them and encouraging them to keep PDP under the water.”
As the crisis began in 2022, a party alliance among several individuals set in. One of these was the G-5 known as the formation of five PDP governors who vowed not to support Atiku’s presidential bid until the National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, resigns. The governors include: Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Okezie Ikeazu of Abia State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Ifeanyi Ugwanyi of Enugu State and Samuel Ortom of Benue State.
This led to Wike’s declaring that the PDP will win the polls at all levels in Rivers, except the presidency, which eventually happened. The PDP lost its presidential votes to the All Progressives Congress (APC) but won other seats.
Wike had said, “PDP will win our state. I am not hiding it as far as the governorship, House of Representatives, Senate and State Assembly are concerned. The other one (presidency) we have not decided until the right thing is done.”
Reacting to the comment, Ayu said, “I have been silent over all the things you are hearing against me because I don’t want any crack in the party…I have the power to ‘say you and you will not go anywhere because I will insist that I must sign before you go anywhere,” he said. “But I have signed for all candidates produced by the PDP to go ahead in their dreams. Whether I liked it or not I signed.”
However, Wike, Ikpeazu, Makinde and Ortom dismissed his words and dared Ayu to stop any candidate as claimed.
Crisis takes another angle as Wike blames Makinde
In a tweet shared by Wike in May 2025, he acknowledged that the PDP has been wantonly swinging from one part of a slippery precipice to another since the 2023 election, owing fundamentally to dishonesty and lack of trust amongst its key stakeholders.
According to him, a meeting of the G5 was held in Lagos, where he cleared Makinde as the architect of the party’s problems, pointing out to the Oyo State governor that non-adherence to agreements reached was the bane of the party, and that he was the chief culprit of the anomaly. However, at the end of the meeting, “we resolved to bury the hatchet and make progress,” said Wike.
In his tweet, Wike noted that a follow-up to the expanded meeting in Abuja between him, Makinde, Umaru Fintri, Bala Mohammed, and Bukola Saraki at Saraki’s guest house.
“In that meeting, I made it clear that I had no personal problems with HE. Bala Mohammed, except that he hides under the facade of Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum to serially renege on agreements. Tensions rose mightily in the meeting, and it took all concerned to calm frayed nerves. At the end of the meeting, we came to some resolutions, including:
- That Senator Samuel Anyanwu remains the National Secretary of the PDP in tandem with the Supreme Court judgement.
- All legal matters relating to Rivers State must be withdrawn by the National Legal Adviser.
- The suit on the State of emergency be withdrawn forthwith.
- Nobody should deviate from the agreements so reached,” Wike said.
Wike added that he pleaded to attend the stakeholders’ meeting at the Bauchi Government Lodge, which he did, and reiterated his earlier concerns. “To this end, and to resolve all other lingering and pending issues, a committee was formed, headed by Saraki,” he said.
The FCT minister, however, expressed disappointment that before the Saraki Reconciliation Committee could begin its work, the agreement reached at Saraki’s Guest House was already being crudely violated.
“To my chagrin, Seyi Makinde had connived with Peter Mba of Enugu State to orchestrate the summoning of the meeting of so-called South-East leaders to recommend that if Ude Okoye was not adopted as Secretary, they would pull out of the PDP. I have since granted an interview to the effect that the resolution of the South-East leaders can not hold.”
Wike claimed Makinde organised some people in the National Secretariat to insist that the Deputy National Secretary should act as National Secretary, in violation of the agreement earlier reached.
“To attempt to give credence to this farce, a letter was written by the Deputy National Secretary, calling for a meeting of the NEC of the party. Furthermore, the letter confirming the candidacy of the Governorship candidate of the party in the forthcoming Governorship elections in Anambra State, duly signed by the National Secretary, Senator Anyanwu and the acting National Chairman, was portrayed as rejected by the party through a rebuttal letter signed by the National Publicity Secretary, acting on the orders of Seyi Makinde and Peter Mba.
“All these actions are in complete violation of the agreements reached and would not do the party any good whatsoever. On the 24th of May 2025, in Jos, for instance, a well-publicised and properly attended zonal elective congress of the PDP was aborted because the letter inviting INEC to the congress was signed by the Deputy National Secretary of the party. INEC refused to attend because the proper signatory recognised by law, that is, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, was not a signatory to the invitation notice. This is undeniably distasteful, provocative and annoying, to say the least,” he added.
Former Benue State Governor, Senator Gabriel Suswam, had warned that the PDP could cease to exist before the 2027 general elections should the leadership of the party fail to address its ongoing internal crises.
Speaking on Arise Television’s “The Morning Show” in May 2025, the former governor stated that the party crisis has expanded beyond what it started with.
He noted two major sources of the PDP’s current instability: the unresolved battle over the national secretary position and the escalating rift between the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
To address the saga, the party scheduled its National Elective Convention for August in Kano State. However, The New Daily Prime reported that it was postponed to November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The national elective convention will have the party’s National Working Committee election.
As the party prepares for its November NWC poll, stakeholders are pushing for a consensus method in getting a new party chairman.
Some of the contenders for the party chair include former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, former party chairman, Kawu Baraje, and former Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Makarfi. Also on the list of likely contenders for the seat is the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum.
Wike: PDP internal crisis temporarily ended
FCT minister Wike has said the internal crisis in the party has largely subsided—at least for the time being—following the recent defection of some top members, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Speaking during a media parley in Abuja on Monday, Wike acknowledged that while the turbulence within the party has eased, certain lingering issues still require attention.
“The crisis in PDP is over for now, because there are still some things remaining,” he said.
The former Rivers State governor also outlined conditions for sustainable peace in the party. Chief among them, he said, is the recognition of the South-South zonal congress, which he insists must remain valid.
“Our South-South zonal congress that was held must be upheld. There’s no doubt, no two ways about it,” Wike declared.
As the party gears up for the NWC election, time will tell if its crisis has come to an end or is the beginning of the party’s collapse.
