Wike Finally Makes His Move As PDP Faction Opens Doors For All Aggrieved Members

Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.

The Peoples Democratic Party faction loyal to Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has officially launched a sweeping reconciliation initiative aimed at bringing back aggrieved members who left the party during its protracted leadership crisis. Speaking at the faction’s 87th Board of Trustees meeting held in Abuja on Monday, the national chairman of the Wike led PDP, Abdulrahman Mohammed, declared that the party is now reaching out to every disaffected member across all wards and zones with an offer of genuine belonging and shared purpose. The move follows an appeal made by Wike on Friday, in which he urged his faction’s leadership to actively encourage former members to rejoin the fold. The reconciliation push comes just weeks after the Wike backed faction physically took control of the party’s national headquarters in Abuja on April 10, following months of violent infighting that had forced the Nigeria Police Force to seal the premises.

Abdulrahman Mohammed, addressing party elders and stakeholders at the well attended gathering, stressed that mere numerical return of defectors would not suffice. “We are reaching out to every aggrieved member across all wards and zones. We do not just want people back in the fold; we want them back with a sense of belonging and a shared purpose,” he said. He also emphasized the need for discipline, loyalty, and strict adherence to the party’s constitution, warning that unity without discipline is merely a temporary truce. “To remain a viable alternative for the people, we must uphold the sanctity of our constitution. Loyalty to the party’s decisions is non negotiable. Internal grievances must be channelled through the proper constitutional organs, not the pages of newspapers,” Mohammed added. The national chairman further outlined the faction’s commitment to grassroots mobilisation, particularly at the polling unit level, leveraging technology, membership drives, and voter engagement strategies ahead of the 2027 general elections. “We are not just preparing to contest; we are preparing to lead,” he declared.

The Board of Trustees chairman of the faction, Mao Ohuabunwa, echoed Mohammed’s sentiments, calling on members and leaders at all levels to embrace genuine reconciliation. Ohuabunwa noted that the party’s national convention had come and gone, and that what must now remain is one united party. His remarks signaled a desire to heal deep wounds that have split the PDP into two warring camps for nearly two years. The crisis erupted after the 2023 presidential election, when Wike and his allies broke ranks with the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over power sharing arrangements and the composition of the national leadership. The dispute escalated into a full blown leadership tussle, with two factions claiming legitimacy, leading to parallel conventions, court injunctions, and physical confrontations at the party’s Abuja headquarters. The police were forced to seal the building in late 2025 after rival supporters clashed, leaving several people injured. The Wike backed faction has since secured favourable rulings from the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, and is now awaiting a final judgment from the Supreme Court on the leadership dispute. Wike himself, speaking on Friday, declared that the party’s crisis is nearly over, citing the legal victories as proof of his faction’s legitimacy.

The reconciliation overture is significant because it marks the first formal, structured effort by the Wike led faction to mend fences with members who aligned with the rival Atiku backed camp. Among those being targeted are former governors, legislators, and grassroots officials who walked away in protest over what they described as Wike’s unilateral takeover of the party structure. Political analysts note that the PDP cannot realistically pose a challenge to the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2027 without a united front, especially given President Bola Tinubu’s continued dominance in the South West and the North West. The Wike faction’s control of the party’s physical headquarters and its growing legal validation give it a strong hand, but reconciliation requires more than court victories. Abdulrahman Mohammed acknowledged this, stating that internal grievances must be processed through constitutional organs rather than public spats, a clear reference to the damaging habit of both factions airing dirty laundry in the media.

The timing of the reconciliation drive is also notable. With the 2027 election cycle already casting its shadow, both major parties are positioning themselves for what promises to be a fiercely contested race. The PDP, which was the main opposition party after losing the 2023 presidential election to Tinubu, has seen its support base erode due to the infighting. Several prominent members, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Senate President Bukola Saraki, have maintained a distance from the Wike led structure, operating their own parallel engagements. Whether they will respond to the reconciliation call remains uncertain. Atiku’s camp has so far not issued an official response to Monday’s announcement. However, the Wike faction’s emphasis on grassroots mobilisation and technology driven voter engagement suggests that it is not waiting for the Supreme Court’s final word. The party has already begun registering new members at polling units across several states, using digital platforms to build a database that it hopes will translate into votes.

Reactions from political observers have been mixed. Some see the move as a shrewd step toward rebuilding a fractured opposition, while others view it as a last ditch effort by Wike to consolidate personal power ahead of potential presidential ambitions of his own. The Minister of the FCT has consistently denied any plan to run for president in 2027, but his name continues to surface in political speculation. Regardless of motives, the success of the reconciliation effort will depend on whether the Wike backed faction can offer tangible concessions to the other side, including power sharing at the national and state levels, and whether the Supreme Court’s eventual ruling will provide a definitive, universally accepted outcome. For now, the PDP remains a party divided, but Monday’s meeting in Abuja sent a clear signal that one faction is ready to talk. The question is whether the other side is willing to listen.

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