Disrupting PDP Convention Is 'Political Suicide' - Makinde Issues Warning to Wike Allies

Disrupting PDP Convention Is 'Political Suicide' - Makinde Issues Warning to Wike Allies

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has delivered a pointed rebuke to allies of Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, cautioning them against any moves to derail the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) upcoming National Elective Convention. Labeling such efforts as akin to "committing suicide," Makinde emphasized that the party's "train has moved," underscoring the PDP's determination to press forward despite internal rifts and high-profile defections.The convention, slated for November 15–16 in Ibadan, Oyo State, is poised to elect a new National Working Committee (NWC) and mark a pivotal reset for the PDP as it eyes a 2027 comeback against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Makinde, who now chairs the convention's Transportation Subcommittee, inaugurated the group in Abuja on Monday and used the occasion to rally supporters, journalists, and party stalwarts. "This meeting is just a demonstration of the fact that the National Convention of our great party—the train—has moved, and whoever is trying to stop a moving train is probably also trying to commit suicide," he declared. "So my advice is this: no matter how highly placed, no matter what has transpired in the past, we don’t want to see anyone dead. So please, don’t commit suicide."The warning comes on the heels of a legal skirmish last week, when a Federal High Court in Abuja, under Justice James Omotosho, dismissed an ex parte application from Wike's camp. The suit sought to restrain the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from proceeding with the convention and related leadership meetings, citing grievances over the South-South zonal structure, party leadership in states like Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Plateau, and the convention's micro-zoning arrangements. Wike's associates had signaled they might pursue further injunctions if their demands went unmet, but the court's rejection has bolstered pro-convention forces.Wike, a former Rivers State governor and erstwhile PDP heavyweight, has been at the center of the party's factional storm since the contentious 2022 presidential primaries. His fallout with PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and subsequent alignment with President Bola Tinubu's APC administration has deepened divisions. Efforts to reach Lere Olayinka, Wike's Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications, for comment were unsuccessful as of press time.Makinde, a rising PDP figure and one of the party's few holdout governors in the Southwest, framed the broader crisis as a necessary trial by fire. Addressing reports of mass defections—including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Senate President David Mark, and 2023 PDP vice-presidential pick Ifeanyi Okowa jumping to the African Democratic Congress (ADC)-led opposition coalition—he urged resilience. "We have a party that has gone through a full cycle... Challenges will come and go, but for us as leaders, no matter the situation we find ourselves in, organising the party is not an end in itself," Makinde said. "The end is for Nigerians to have democracy and a party they can relate with."The PDP, which dominated Nigerian politics from 1999 until its 2015 ouster, has hemorrhaged talent in recent months. APC defections include Akwa Ibom's Umo Eno, Delta's Sheriff Oborevwori, and whispers of Enugu's Peter Mbah and Bayelsa's Douye Diri following suit before the convention. Yet, Makinde struck an optimistic tone, invoking the party's grassroots ubiquity: "We are from every corner of this country... The PDP exists in every ward of this country. This situation may appear difficult... But I have good news: when something lasting is being built, it often gets worse before it gets better."Echoing Makinde's defiance, Co-Chairman of the PDP National Convention and former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), hailed the committee's turnout as proof of momentum. "From the turnout of members of this committee, Nigerians will now know that the PDP is on course, that the journey to reclaim Aso Rock has started," Turaki affirmed. PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba doubled down, positioning the party as Nigeria's sole beacon of true democracy: "This is the only democratic party in this country... With the support of the people, we will defeat the failed All Progressives Congress government come 2027."As the transportation subcommittee, tasked with ferrying delegates from across Nigeria's 36 states and the FCT—gears up, Makinde stressed collective duty. Drawing from his own 2021 role as convention organizing secretary, he called on members to embrace even modest roles: "No assignment is too big or too small to move our party forward... Our work is not when they show up in Ibadan; our work will start before they even leave home."For the PDP, the stakes couldn't be higher. The convention isn't just an electoral exercise; it's a litmus test of unity in a fractured opposition landscape.   

Source: Disrupting PDP Convention Is 'Political Suicide' - Makinde Issues Warning to Wike Allies

 - NigerianEye
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