The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has played down claims of division within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), insisting that disagreements ahead of the party’s National Convention, scheduled for March 29-30, do not amount to a split.
Speaking to journalists after inspecting ongoing and completed projects in Abuja on Wednesday, Wike acknowledged that while a few party members may be dissatisfied, such grievances are a normal part of political life and do not threaten the party’s overall unity.
“We have only one PDP, no faction. I don’t know which camp you are talking about, so it will be wrong for me to say the other camp.
”Naturally, there are some individuals that may not be happy. Yes, some may not be happy and have called to say ‘let bygones be bygones,’ but there is no faction. There is only one PDP,” Wike said.
He further noted that efforts by some aggrieved members to reach out for reconciliation were personal initiatives rather than formal negotiations within the party structure.
“That there is convention does not mean there will be no reconciliation. Everything has its own time,” Wike added.
The minister also emphasised the urgency of party activities in light of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s revised timetable for the 2027 elections, stressing that political parties have little time to waste.
He confirmed that the convention would hold as scheduled.
While Wike defended the party’s cohesion, former Bayelsa State Governor and Senator Seriake Dickson expressed concern over the trajectory of Nigeria’s major political parties, including the PDP.
Speaking at the inaugural National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Abuja, Dickson warned that internal contradictions were causing significant instability across political platforms.
“All political houses are on fire right now. This hurricane that has come is driving most of them out of their houses.
”Most of their houses are collapsing. We must be ready to accommodate them,” he said.
Dickson invited members of the PDP, the Labour Party, and other opposition groups to consider joining the NDC, which he described as a “fresh, people-oriented platform” offering an alternative for displaced politicians.
He cautioned that the PDP, once considered Africa’s largest political party, risked losing its identity and becoming a mirror of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“I call on loyal members of the PDP who do not want to be part of a party that will become a clone of the APC.
”What will be left of the PDP will no longer be the party we used to know,” Dickson said.
Criticising the culture of governance dominated by power and wealth, Dickson emphasized the importance of service to citizens.
“To us, power is for the sake of the people. Without service, what is the end of power?” he asked.
