Deepening rifts within Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), erupted into fresh turmoil yesterday as a faction loyal to Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike issued a notice calling for emergency meetings of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT). The dual sessions are scheduled for Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at the PDP national secretariat in Wadata Plaza, Abuja.
The recent rift is rooted in the fallout from the PDP’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, which culminated in the expulsion of several senior party figures, prominently including Wike, former National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, ex-Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade, former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose, and Imo PDP Chairman Austin Nwachukwu.
At the convention, the motion to expel these figures was moved by former Deputy National Chairman (South), Bode George, and seconded by Bauchi State PDP Chairman, Samaila Buga. The decision was later put to a voice vote by Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed, who chairs the PDP Governors’ Forum, and was overwhelmingly supported by delegates.
The expulsions signaled a hard line by the party’s other leadership faction against what it views as long-standing internal dissent and anti-party activities.
In a notice circulated by the Wike-aligned faction, Samuel Anyanwu, acting in his capacity as national secretary in that camp, announced that the BoT meeting will begin at 11:00 a.m., followed by the NEC meeting at 2:00 p.m., both at the same venue in Wadata Plaza.
The notice describes the agenda as covering “crucial matters,” making attendance compulsory for members. 
This move marks what reports describe as the 103rd emergency NEC meeting in the party’s history.
The summons by Wike’s faction is widely interpreted as a direct challenge to the PDP leadership that orchestrated the Ibadan expulsions. By calling both the NEC and BoT to meet on short notice at the party’s national secretariat, while the other faction holds its own meeting, the Wike-aligned bloc appears to be asserting its continued relevance and refusal to be sidelined.
This crisis is not new. Earlier this year, Wike publicly denied being invited to NEC meetings, only for a letter bearing Samuel Anyanwu’s signature to later be produced, showing that he had indeed been invited, exposing the depth of mistrust within the party.
In October 2025, the PDP’s acting National Working Committee (NWC) postponed the 103rd NEC meeting, citing “recent developments”, a delay that fuelled speculation about internal sabotage and maneuvering. Tensions have also erupted before: in June 2025, a scheduled BoT meeting was disrupted when police blocked some trustees from accessing the main hall at Wadata Plaza.
As the tension between both factions intensifies, the unending struggle for power, legitimacy, and control within Nigeria’s main opposition party becomes an even more thrilling affair. For Wike and his allies, the emergency meeting represents an opportunity to reclaim agency, challenge the expulsions, and influence the party’s future direction. For the opposing leadership, it could mean a threat to the consolidation achieved at Ibadan.
How Tuesday unfolds, and whether they can reconcile or entrench the split, may determine whether the PDP emerges from this as a united contender or a divided remnant.
Samuel Aina