Wike’s Demand Causes Deep Split in PDP as Expelled Members Plan Emergency Meeting

A dispute has broken out in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after Nyesom Wike set a hard condition for peace within the party, according to Umar Sani, a former media aide to ex‑Vice President Namadi Sambo.

Speaking during an interview, Mr. Sani said Mr. Wike told party leaders one clear demand: “Wike gave the PDP a condition that we are not going to field a presidential candidate in 2027. He said that is the only condition that he will have; all that this is a fight to finish.

“That is what he said. So we cannot wait for a fight to finish. Yes, we cannot wait for a fight to finish. Yes, we have to end the fight.”

Faced with ongoing tensions, the PDP went ahead with its national convention. The meeting produced a move that has escalated the crisis: Mr. Wike, Senator Samuel Anyanwu and eight others close to Mr. Wike were expelled from the party. The expulsions were announced during the convention in Ibadan.

Those removed from the party have not accepted the decision. They have called for emergency meetings of the National Executive Committee and the Board of Trustees, set for Thursday. The expelled members also plan an urgent gathering at the party’s National Secretariat in Wadata Plaza, Abuja.

A notice from Samuel Anyanwu, named by the Wike camp as the factional national secretary, formally called for the emergency meeting just two days after the expulsions.

The row shows a party divided between leaders seeking a quick end to the fight and a rival group determined to press its case. The coming meetings are likely to test whether either side will back down or deepen the split.