KEY POINTS

• A PDP chieftain, Tony Ehilebo, has accused FCT Minister Nyesom Wike of being the primary source of the party’s internal crisis, stemming from his loss in the 2022 presidential primary.
• Ehilebo claims Wike’s prolonged grievance led him to support the APC in the 2023 election, contributing to defections and ongoing instability within the PDP.
• Despite his expulsion by a party faction, Wike insists he remains a PDP member while endorsing President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, creating a significant political contradiction.

A prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  Tony Ehilebo, has publicly stated that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is the fundamental cause of the ongoing turmoil within the opposition party.

Ehilebo made these remarks during a February 3rd interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, directly addressing Wike and urging him to reconsider his actions for the sake of the party’s future.

The core of the conflict traces back to the PDP’s 2022 presidential primary, where Wike lost the nomination to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Ehilebo alleges that Wike’s enduring bitterness over this defeat led him to actively campaign for the rival All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 general election.

This grievance, Ehilebo argues, has persisted abnormally long and has set a poor standard for party loyalty.

He further claimed that Wike’s dominant influence within the party contributed to the departures of key figures like Peter Obi and Dave Umahi.

Lingering Fallout and Future Alignments

The fallout from the 2022 primary fractured the PDP, leading Wike and his “G-5” faction to support APC candidate Bola Tinubu, who ultimately won the presidency and later appointed Wike as a minister. Despite being expelled by a faction of the PDP last year, Wike maintains his party membership while openly supporting President Tinubu’s re-election campaign for 2027.

Ehilebo warns that Wike’s legal battles and sustained opposition to the party’s leadership are devaluing the PDP and hindering its role as a effective opposition force.