PDP Governors Dare Wike, Vow Convention Will Hold November 15

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has thrown down the gauntlet to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, declaring that no amount of internal opposition will stop the party’s national convention scheduled for November 15, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State.

In a communiqué issued at the end of its seventh meeting in Gusau, Zamfara State, on Saturday, August 23, the governors reaffirmed their support for the resolutions of the 101st National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in July, which fixed the convention date. The meeting, chaired by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, urged members to stand firm and resist attempts to derail the convention, stressing that the PDP remains the only viable democratic platform to rescue Nigeria from what they described as the failed policies of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“The Forum reaffirms its full commitment to the resolutions of the 101st NEC meeting of July 2025 regarding the November 15 National Convention. It urges members to resist all attempts to derail the convention by anti-party forces and to see the PDP as the only democratic institution capable of restoring Nigeria on the path of good governance and national development,” the communiqué read in part.

The governors also used the meeting to deliberate extensively on the state of the nation. They expressed concern over worsening insecurity, the erosion of democratic values, and the rising cost of living. According to them, the APC government has pursued divisive policies that have deepened hardship and disunity across the country. They, however, commended the resilience of PDP leaders and members, noting that orchestrated defections and internal squabbles had not diminished the party’s grassroots strength or the public’s desire for change.

Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, has been at the center of the storm within the party. Appearing on Channels Television’s *Politics Today* on August 19, he openly rejected decisions by the PDP National Working Committee, including the retention of Ali Odefa as National Vice Chairman (South-East) and the composition of the South-South Caretaker Committee. He insisted that his ally, Dan Orbih, was the legitimate National Vice Chairman (South-South), having emerged from a zonal congress held in Calabar. Wike warned that the refusal of the party to recognize Orbih’s position could trigger a fresh crisis.

“Well, it is over for now. A few things are remaining, and I have told them that they must do it. Our congress was held in Calabar, and there’s nothing anybody can tell us. If they want to have another round of crisis, so be it. In that congress, Chief Dan Orbih emerged as the National Vice Chairman. They never wanted the congress to be held, but congress was held,” Wike had declared.

The FCT minister, who has already clashed with the zoning committee chaired by Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, has also drifted apart from his one-time ally, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, with many PDP members accusing him of anti-party activities since his acceptance of a ministerial appointment in the APC-led cabinet. Wike has, however, consistently denied working against the party.

Despite his opposition, the PDP governors insist the convention will go ahead as planned. They emphasized that Nigerians are yearning for a return to stability, affordable living, and relative security, which they argued were better experienced under PDP administrations. The Forum maintained that the November 15 convention would mark a decisive step toward reuniting the party and positioning it as the credible alternative to the APC in the 2027 general elections.