The factional convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the weekend has escalated the crisis in the party.
More chapters and stakeholders have continued to fault the procedure and rejected the expulsion of 11 stalwarts, including Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose and National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
A party source said over the weekend that both factions are gearing up for the next phase of legal fireworks at the court.
The Umar Iliya Damagun-led faction had ignored the judgments of the Federal High Court that restrained the party from conducting the convention, leaning on the exparte order of the Ibadan High Court, which adjourned till December 8 for the resumption of hearing in the case instituted against the party by a chieftain, Folahan Malomo Adelabi.
Rejecting the outcome of the Ibadan convention, the Imo State chapter, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Lancelot Obiaku, described it as a “mere gathering of a lawless Committee of Friends,” which ignored court rulings, violated internal procedures, and paraded suspended and expelled members as delegates.
Obiaku said: “It was a tea party of lawless friends, a sham convention drenched in illegality.”
The party officer reaffirmed the loyalty of the chapter to Acting National Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed and National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary, stressing that the refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to monitor the event underscored its lack of legitimacy.
Obiaku described the dissolution of Imo PDP executives as “wishful” thinking.
He said: “We completely disregard the news making the rounds that our structure has been dissolved, as such is only a wishful thought existing in the imaginations of its purveyors.”

By Grace Edet

Nyesom Wike’s political journey dominated conversations on Sunday after data platform Statisense published a chronological breakdown of his 26-year rise across key positions in Nigeria’s political landscape.

The profile, shared on its X handle, highlighted how Wike moved from local government leadership to national prominence, holding some of the country’s most influential offices before age 55.

According to Statisense, Wike began his formal political career in 1999, becoming Chairman of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area at just 32 years old. He held that position for two consecutive terms until 2007, launching what would become one of the most visible political trajectories in the Fourth Republic.

By age 40, Wike had become Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Government, a role he occupied from 2007 to 2011. His ascent continued in 2011 when he was appointed Minister of State for Education, serving until 2015 — a position he assumed at age 44.

Wike returned to Rivers State politics in 2015, securing election as Governor, a position he held for eight years. Statisense noted that by the time he left office in 2023, he had become one of the state’s most powerful political figures.

Now 57, Wike serves as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), making him one of the few politicians to transition from state governance to overseeing Nigeria’s capital city.

The Statisense profile has sparked discussions online about Wike’s resilience, political influence, and ability to maintain relevance across changing political climates — from the local level to the federal centre.

Statisense framed the post as a data-driven snapshot of his rise, noting the ages at which he assumed key roles:

32 — LGA Chairman
40 — Chief of Staff
44 — Minister of Education (State)
48 — Governor, Rivers State
55 — Minister of FCT

The post provides context for ongoing debates about Wike’s political influence, especially amid tensions in Rivers State and his continued visibility within the current administration.

…Says event ‘like a funeral’

By Grace Edet

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has slammed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over its 2025 national convention.

It described the event as a “funeral in disguise’’ marked by the absence of delegates from 13 states and several of the party’s top leaders.

In a strongly worded statement issued yesterday, Lagos APC spokesperson Oluseye Oladejo said the convention, touted by the PDP as a moment of renewal, exposed only the party’s “irreversible decline” and deepening internal crisis.

Oladejo said the gathering “played out like a political obsequy,” arguing that a party that once dominated national politics now appears to be “struggling for survival.”

“One of the most telling signs of the PDP’s turmoil was the conspicuous absence of several of its own key figures, including sitting governors and senior stakeholders whose non-attendance spoke louder than any communiqué,” he said.

He added that the absence of delegates from at least 13 states was a symbolic confirmation that the PDP “is not just unwell but clinically unresponsive.’’

The Lagos APC also pointed to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) refusal to monitor the convention, describing it as the “final stamp” that reduced the exercise to a political farce.

According to Oladejo, “What should have been a moment of introspection and renewal became an opportunity for its dwindling membership to gather and say their formal farewell.”

He accused the PDP of refusing to confront the issues that have weakened it for years—leadership vacuums, ideological drift, and a long trail of electoral defeats.

The party warned that the PDP’s inability to reorganise itself poses a danger to the country’s democratic health.

“A democracy without credible opposition is weakened. But the PDP, in its comatose state, offers nothing beyond noise,” the statement said.

With political attention gradually shifting toward the 2027 general elections, the Lagos APC argued that the PDP’s disarray has already set the stage for what it predicted would be another disastrous outing for the opposition.

Contrasting the opposition’s troubles with what it described as the governing party’s progress, Oladejo said the APC under President Bola Tinubu is “steadily consolidating governance reforms,” adding that Nigerians have chosen “progress over nostalgia.’’

The statement ended with a rhetorical jab at the PDP: “Was this truly a convention, or the formal burial of a fading political empire?”

The APC maintained that the opposition party has become “a refuge for internally displaced politicians” and no longer represents a credible national alternative.