IBADAN: The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday intensified its internal cleansing as delegates at the party’s 2025 National Convention in Ibadan overwhelmingly approved the expulsion of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, alongside former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, and several other high-profile members for alleged anti-party activities.
The motion, moved by former Deputy National Chairman (South), Bode George, and seconded by the Bauchi State PDP Chairman, Samaila Buga, accused the expelled members of undermining party unity, loyalty, and discipline.
The voice vote that followed marked a decisive moment in the party’s attempt to confront long-running internal dissent.
Those expelled include Wike; Senator Samuel Anyanwu; former National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN); Imo PDP Chairman, Austin Nwachukwu; ex-Governor Ayo Fayose, and several others.
The convention attended by delegates from across the country—was seen as an attempt by the PDP to reassert authority ahead of the 2027 elections and reposition itself as the leading opposition voice.
However, the decision has not gone unchallenged within the party’s top ranks. Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, publicly distanced himself from the expulsion process, insisting that the matter was neither discussed nor approved by the PDP Governors’ Forum or the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) before being presented at the convention.
In a statement signed by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere, Mutfwang described the move as hasty and potentially damaging.
The expulsion of such key stakeholders at this critical moment is not a strategic solution to the challenges confronting our party, the statement read.
The matter was never deliberated upon by the Governors’ Forum or the NEC and therefore does not represent my position.
The governor emphasised that resolving the PDP crisis requires “genuine dialogue, unity, and collective effort, warning that expelling prominent figures could deepen existing fractures rather than heal them.
Mutfwang’s stance mirrors similar reactions from other PDP leaders, including the Adamawa State Governor, who also disowned the expulsion process earlier in the day.
Party insiders say the decision has triggered unease among stakeholders already worried about widening divisions within the opposition.
The controversy comes amid the dissolution of PDP structures in Rivers, Enugu, and several other states another move widely interpreted as part of the party’s shake-up ahead of major political battles.
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, who chairs the PDP Governors’ Forum, presided over the convention proceedings but has yet to issue a detailed comment on the governors’ collective position.
Political analysts say the latest expulsions represent the most aggressive disciplinary action taken by the PDP in years, especially against serving and former governors with significant grassroots influence.
While party loyalists argue it is necessary to restore order and enforce loyalty, critics warn it could weaken the party structurally in key states like Rivers and Ekiti.
With Nigeria’s next general elections approaching, the PDP’s internal crisis—and how it handles high-profile disagreements will play a major role in determining its national relevance.
For now, the fallout from Wike’s expulsion may define the next phase of opposition politics in the country.
