The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has insisted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) must zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South in line with equity, fairness, and the party’s constitution.
Wike made the call during a meeting of PDP eminent stakeholders held on Sunday, 9th June 2025, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Among those present were former Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), National Secretary Senator Sam Anyanwu, former Senate Minority Leader Philip Aduda, serving and former lawmakers, and other party elders.
The meeting reportedly focused on reviewing the internal crisis rocking the PDP and setting a direction for its future.
After the deliberations, Wike read a communiqué on behalf of the stakeholders, outlining their collective resolutions and warnings to the party leadership.
“The eminent stakeholders and concerned leaders are alarmed that the party is in an inevitable path to self-annihilation, if urgent steps are not taken to rein in the desperate, divisive and selfish tendencies that brought the party to its knees in the lead-up to the 2023 election,” the communiqué read.
“These divisive tendencies, unfortunately, have found expression in the conduct of certain interest within the ranks of our party both at NEC, NWC and Board of trustees level.”
“To finally arrest the inexorable drift towards extinction in our party, the party must, without further delay, respect the judgment of the Supreme Court. We, therefore, unequivocally reaffirm Senator Sam Anyanwu as the duly elected and substantive National Secretary of our great party.”
“In the spirit of fairness, inclusion, federal character principles and respect for our party Constitution, the Party must make an unequivocal pronouncement zoning its presidential candidate to the south in the 2027 elections after the unbroken years of Northern President under President Muhammadu Buhari.”
“In line with the provisions of our party constitution only the National Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu, can issue notices of meeting of the National Convention, National Executive Committee, National Caucus and the National Working Committee and to this end all notices not issued by him and actions founded on them, including correspondences to INEC are null and void and of no effect whatsoever.”
“Furthermore, it is clear from the Constitution that only the National Convention, properly and duly constituted can remove Senator Sam Anyanwu, the National Secretary, arising from his status as a member of the National Executive Committee of the party.”
“We, therefore, demand that the acting National Chairman and the National Secretary jointly issue a notice to INEC with an attached agenda for the NEC meeting of the party being the only pathway to abide by extant laws.”
“We, the stakeholders reiterate our commitment to our great party and urge all members to uphold the rule of law, respect constitutional mandate, resist all machinations aimed at destabilising the party and support the efforts of the National Reconciliation Committee headed by Senator Bukola Saraki.”
