PDP: Wike faction expels Makinde, Bala Mohammed, Bode George, others

PDP’s Fracturing Crisis - Wike’s Faction Expels Makinde, Bala Mohammed, Bode George

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), once Nigeria’s dominant political force, is now engulfed in a storm of factional battles that threaten its very survival.

The latest escalation came on Tuesday when the faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, announced the expulsion of several heavyweight figures, including sitting governors and long-standing party elders.

This dramatic move underscores the depth of the crisis and the tit-for-tat nature of the struggle within the party.

At the center of the controversy is the factional National Executive Committee (NEC) aligned with Wike. Meeting at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, this faction ratified the expulsion of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, and Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal. Alongside them, former Deputy National Chairman (South) Chief Bode George, former Board of Trustees Chairman Senator Adolphus Wabara, and newly elected National Chairman Kabiru Turaki were also shown the door.

The expulsions did not occur in isolation. They were a direct response to last Saturday’s controversial PDP national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, where Wike himself and his allies were expelled by the rival faction. In essence, the party is now locked in a retaliatory cycle, with each camp seeking to delegitimize the other.

This tit-for-tat purge has created parallel centers of authority, each claiming legitimacy, and each determined to dismantle the structures of its opponents.

Beyond the expulsions, the Wike-backed faction went further by dissolving the State Executive Councils in Oyo, Bauchi, Zamfara, Yobe, Lagos, Edo, and Ekiti States.

Caretaker committees were announced to oversee fresh congresses, signaling an attempt to consolidate control at the grassroots level. This move is not just administrative; it is strategic, aimed at weakening the rival faction’s influence across key states.

The implications of this crisis are profound. The PDP, already struggling to regain national relevance after successive electoral defeats, now faces the risk of implosion.

The expulsion of sitting governors and respected party elders is unprecedented in its scale and severity. It raises questions about whether reconciliation is possible or whether the party is heading toward permanent fragmentation.

For Nigeria’s political landscape, the PDP’s turmoil is significant. As one of the country’s two major parties, its instability reshapes the balance of opposition politics.

The ruling party may find itself facing a weakened challenger, while smaller parties could seize the opportunity to attract disillusioned PDP members.

Ultimately, the expulsions reflect not just a clash of personalities but a deeper struggle over the soul of the PDP. Is it a party that can reinvent itself through unity and reform, or is it destined to fracture irreparably under the weight of internal rivalries? The coming months will determine whether the PDP can survive this crisis or whether it will become a cautionary tale of how factionalism can destroy even the most established political institutions.

In summary, Wike’s faction has expelled Makinde, Bala Mohammed, Bode George, and others in retaliation for their own expulsion, deepening the PDP’s crisis and pushing the party closer to a breaking point.