…“They were bent on destabilising PDP, and we couldn’t allow that.”
IBADAN, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | The crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party deepened on Saturday after the expulsion of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, along with 10 other top party figures over alleged anti-party activities.
The action was approved during the PDP’s 20th National Convention held at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Those removed from the party include former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose; National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu; National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade; and Austin Nwachukwu.
Others expelled are the factional chairman, Mohammed Abdulrahman; Senator Mao Ohuabunwa; Austine Nwachukwu; Abraham Amah; George Turner; and Chief Dan Orbih.
The motion for the expulsions was proposed by the former National Vice Chairman (South), Chief Olabode George, and seconded by the Bauchi State PDP Chairman, Samaila Burga, before it was eventually approved by the party’s delegates.
During the convention, the delegates also unanimously ratified Umaru Damagum as the party’s substantive National Chairman.
However, the convention triggered a split among governors loyal to Damagum, as two of them, Adamawa State Governor Umaru Fintiri who chaired the convention’s National Organising Committee, and Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang publicly distanced themselves from Wike’s removal.
The PDP has been mired in internal conflict in recent months, with factions aligned with Wike and Damagum battling for control of the party’s structure.
These tensions eventually erupted into a major confrontation ahead of the convention.
Before the event, former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido filed a case at the Federal High Court in Abuja, protesting his exclusion after being prevented from purchasing the nomination form for the national chairmanship race.
On Friday, Justice Peter Lifu ordered the party to halt the convention. He further barred the Independent National Electoral Commission from supervising, monitoring, or recognising any PDP convention that did not include Lamido as a candidate.
Justice Lifu ruled that available evidence showed Lamido was unjustly denied the opportunity to obtain the nomination form to contest for the National Chairman position.
Recall that on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, Justice Lifu issued a similar order stopping the PDP from holding its convention, which was meant to elect new national officers.
Lamido, through his lawyer, Jephthah Njikonye, SAN, had filed an ex parte application seeking an interim injunction to halt the convention until the substantive case was heard and decided.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu agreed that the request had merit and ordered the PDP not to proceed with the convention until the main suit was resolved.
He added that there was no justification to depart from an earlier decision by Justice James Omotosho on October 31, 2025, which had also stopped the convention.
However, in a contradictory order, the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan ruled on November 3 that the PDP could go ahead with the event. Justice Ladiran Akintola, acting on an ex parte motion by Oyo PDP member Folahan Adelabi, directed INEC to attend and monitor the election of new national officers.
Despite the Federal High Court’s restrictions, the Damagum faction proceeded with the convention, claiming they were unaware of Justice Lifu’s ruling issued on Friday.
Announcing the expulsion of Wike and other prominent members on X on Saturday, the PDP stated that the decision was approved by the majority of delegates at the convention.
The party noted that the action reflects its resolve to eliminate internal conflict and anti-party behavior that have slowed its progress.
Referencing Articles 10(6) and 58(1)(b), (c), (f), (i), (j), (l), as well as 59(1)(g) of its 2017 amended Constitution, the PDP emphasized that the National Convention holds ultimate authority over all party matters, including disciplinary actions against officers and members.
In a statement after the announcement, the South-West PDP Chairman, Kamorudeen Ajisafe, described the expulsion as long overdue.
“Wike and the others were suspended for anti-party activities,” Ajisafe said.
“They were bent on destabilising the party, and we couldn’t allow that.”
He clarified, however, that Lamido was not among those expelled, despite his multiple court actions aimed at stopping the convention.
“Lamido is not in the same category as Wike. He remains a respected PDP leader,” Ajisafe said.
“He’s simply upset that he was prevented from purchasing the nomination form to contest for the PDP chairmanship because he expressed interest after the deadline had closed. We will resolve the issues with him.”
Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, dismissed the convention as nothing more than a show.
In a post on X, Olayinka argued that the organisers should not be taken seriously.
“They went to Ibadan to begin ‘dirty December’ in November. When people choose to start their dirty December early, you can only ignore whatever they say,” he wrote.
“They simply gathered in Ibadan for a social outing, had fun, and got carried away. They’re free to say whatever they like.”
Governor Fintiri distanced himself from Wike’s expulsion.
Speaking at the convention grounds, Fintiri explained that the absence of INEC officials at the event compelled him to withdraw from the proceedings.
“With INEC absent and with the ongoing litigations surrounding this convention, it is not within my authority to continue with this exercise. I leave the decision to the convention delegates,” Fintiri stated.
The Adamawa governor further clarified his stance in a statement posted on his verified X account (@AhmaduUmaruFintiri).
He described Wike’s expulsion as contrary to the party’s interests and warned that it could trigger a prolonged crisis within the PDP.
Fintiri called on party members to work towards unity and the reconciliation of aggrieved members.
He explained that his stance was guided by a commitment to peace and stability within the party.
“I call on all stakeholders to focus on bridging the divisions within our party and to foster unity and cohesion. As a dedicated party member, I remain committed to supporting initiatives that advance peace, stability, and progress within the PDP,” he stated.
Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang also distanced himself from the controversial expulsion, noting that the matter was neither discussed at the PDP Governors’ Forum nor at the party’s National Executive Council before being presented.
He emphasized that the proposal did not reflect his position on the issue.
The governor’s stance was outlined in a statement issued by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere.
Mutfwang further stated that expelling party leaders at such a critical time was not a strategic way to address the PDP’s internal challenges.
He stressed the importance of unity, dialogue, and collective effort in rebuilding and repositioning the party.
Two other expelled party leaders, Abraham Amah and George Turner, also opposed the PDP’s decision, calling it unlawful, procedurally flawed, and in violation of existing court orders.
In an interview, Amah, the PDP Chairman in Abia State, described the convention as “an aberration” given the ongoing litigation.
“We have a matter before the court, now at the Appeal Court. It is against the law and the party’s constitution for them to proceed with what they have done. We are not part of it,” he said.
Asked whether Abia delegates attended the gathering, Amah explained that participation was limited.
“It is a question of democracy. Out of 17 local governments, only four chairmen attended while 13 did not. Of the 14 members of the state working committee, only five were present. Some attended merely for the money they expected to receive,” he said.
Amah also criticized the dissolution of the Abia and Imo PDP executives during the convention, arguing that those whose structures were dissolved could not validly participate.
“They went ahead and dissolved the Abia and Imo executives, and now they are calling them to come and vote, which is a clear mistake. By dissolving the states, they have no right to participate in the vote,” he added.
George Turner, the PDP Secretary for the South-South Zone, also dismissed the gathering as little more than a social event.
“There is no legitimate PDP convention anywhere. Even the chairman at the Ibadan gathering, Fintiri, confirmed that INEC was not present. This cannot be considered a proper PDP convention. When the party holds a valid convention, everyone will know. For now, it is simply good riddance to bad rubbish,” he said.
In a similar vein, the acting Publicity Secretary of the South-South PDP, Enyinnaya Appolos, described the event in a statement as “ill-fated” and conducted “in clear defiance of due process and judicial rulings.”
He expressed concern that the organisers disregarded two existing Federal High Court judgments and instead relied on “an ineffective ex parte order which, in law and in fact, cannot override valid and extant court decisions.”
Appolos also criticized the absence of INEC, noting that it alone made the exercise “procedurally flawed and legally unsustainable.”
He further pointed out that the so-called convention went ahead despite unresolved state congresses and explicit court orders prohibiting such a gathering.
“It is clear that any business conducted at this gathering cannot endure over time or withstand legal scrutiny,” he said.
He called on party members to stay calm as the matter moves forward to the Court of Appeal.
