The acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Damagum, has postponed the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) meeting to next week due to growing tensions between former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, and the PDP Governors’ Forum concerning the status of party congresses in Rivers State.
The ongoing political rift between Wike and Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has seen the PDP governors align with Fubara, asserting that he should be recognized as the leader of the PDP in the state. This position angered Wike, who warned the governors to stay out of Rivers politics or face repercussions in their states.
On Tuesday, the PDP Governors’ Forum condemned Wike’s threats, calling them irresponsible. They maintained that their stance remained unchanged, reminding Wike that he enjoyed the same leadership privilege when he was governor. The governors are now demanding that the congresses conducted in Rivers State, which gave Wike control of the party’s structure, be annulled and fresh ones held.
The NWC meeting, initially scheduled for Wednesday, was expected to address the Wike-governors dispute but did not take place. The PUNCH reported that despite a court injunction, the Damagum-led NWC had proceeded with the Rivers congress, transferring control to Wike. On August 24, the PDP Governors’ Forum urged the NWC to recognize Fubara as the party leader in the state, a move that Wike threatened to counter with disruptive actions in other state chapters.
To avoid confrontation at the Wednesday meeting, Damagum postponed it. A source at the party’s headquarters in Abuja confirmed that Damagum and other NWC members met to discuss issues related to the Kaduna State chapter instead.
Another NWC member, speaking anonymously, said the postponement was due to concerns about potential conflict, as Wike’s loyalists appeared to be planning their next move. They accused the NWC leadership of delaying the meeting to avoid making decisions on Rivers and other states’ congresses.
Damagum, however, denied any meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, and PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary Ibrahim Abdullahi dismissed claims that the postponement was solely due to the Wike-governors conflict. He emphasized that the NWC had chosen to address its agenda differently.
Meanwhile, the PDP has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of orchestrating internal divisions within opposition parties. PDP’s Abdullahi urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to stop meddling in PDP affairs. In response, APC’s Publicity Director Bala Ibrahim dismissed the allegations, suggesting that the PDP’s failure to manage its own affairs was to blame for its problems.
