PDP 2027 SHOWDOWN: Wike’s camp rejects Jonathan’s candidacy as FCTA threatens venue seal-off
The internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a dramatic turn ahead of the weekend, as the faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, strongly urged former President Goodluck Jonathan to publicly distance himself from an alleged plot to ratify him as the party’s 2027 presidential candidate.
This development unfolded alongside allegations by an opposing PDP faction that Wike is using his ministerial powers to block the venue slated for Jonathan’s endorsement ceremony in Abuja.
Wike faction disowns Saturday ‘convention’, backs Sandy Onor
In a statement signed by its national publicity secretary, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, the pro-Wike faction dismissed reports of an upcoming special convention to affirm Jonathan. Mohammed described the reports as false, misleading, unauthorized, and aimed at creating chaos within the polity.
According to Mohammed, the PDP has already successfully concluded its primary elections across all levels under the supervision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), presenting Senator Sandy Onor as its cleared presidential candidate for 2027.
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“The Party wishes to categorically state that no such convention, meeting, or process has been scheduled, approved, or endorsed by the leadership or any recognised organ of the Peoples Democratic Party,” Mohammed stated.
The faction respectfully called on former President Jonathan to clear his name.
“In view of this development, we respectfully call on former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to publicly dissociate himself from this charade in order to protect the integrity of the democratic process and preserve the credibility he earned while serving the nation.”
Turaki-led faction insists on Jonathan, accuses Wike of intimidation
However, a rival faction of the Interim National Working Committee, led by Tanimu Turaki, hit back immediately. The faction insisted that the special convention to ratify Jonathan would proceed as scheduled at the A Class Event Centre in Wuse 2, Abuja.
In a Friday statement signed by its national publicity secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the party alleged that Minister Nyesom Wike was mounting immense pressure on the management of the event centre to deny them access, even threatening to shut down the premises.
Ememobong maintained that the party had fully paid for the venue, notified relevant security agencies, and directed its legal team to remind the facility managers of their existing contractual agreements.
“We are certain that Nigeria is a country governed by law, and any attempt to use force to suppress political dissent and opposition is an aberration which must be resisted by all people of good conscience,” Ememobong said, adding that the FCT Minister lacks the constitutional power to determine where political events can hold.
As the political tension escalated, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) issued a stern directive targeting operators of hotels, event centres, and public facilities in Abuja.
In a statement released by Lere Olayinka, the senior special assistant on public communications and social media to the FCT minister, the administration warned that properties used for gatherings of “illegal organisations” risk losing their land titles.
The FCTA directed hospitality and event managers to strictly verify that they only deal with INEC-recognized leaderships of political parties during this political season.
“For instance, in this political season, owners of Event Centres and Hotels in particular must ensure that they only deal with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognised leadership of political parties in respect of the use of their facilities… non-compliance could attract severe consequences, including revocation of property titles,” Olayinka warned.
The administration defended the move as a security measure to prevent activities capable of disrupting public peace in the nation’s capital.
The current showdown underscores a deeper structural battle for the soul of the main opposition party. Former President Goodluck Jonathan is being backed by an interim faction fiercely fighting for the control of the PDP, directly locking horns with the powerful machinery controlled by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. All eyes remain on Abuja to see how the conflicting factions navigate the hours leading up to the disputed Saturday gathering.
