Wike Hosts PDP Leaders In Abuja, Warns Party Against ‘Self-Destruction’

By Hagxy Don 

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday hosted a high-powered delegation of leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at his official residence in Abuja, in what observers see as a make-or-break parley for the opposition party.

Those in attendance included the PDP National Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu, former Governors of Abia and Benue States, Okezie Ikpeazu and Samuel Ortom, as well as the Minority Leader of the 10th Rivers House of Assembly, Kingsley Chinda, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and several other lawmakers.

According to Wike, the gathering was convened to enable party stakeholders deliberate on pressing issues facing the PDP and chart a way forward as the party grapples with internal divisions after its defeat in the 2023 general elections.

The meeting comes on the heels of Wike’s stern warning that the PDP risks “self-destruction” if it makes any attempt to bring back former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, into its fold.

Speaking at a media chat on Monday, Wike faulted the PDP’s inability to learn from what he described as its “fatal mistakes” during the last general elections. He recalled how he and other party leaders had cautioned against allowing both the presidential candidate and the national chairman to emerge from the North — a decision he described as “unjust and politically suicidal.”

“From day one, I told my colleagues, PDP, you are shooting yourself. If you allow what is going on to continue, you’ll pay. And what did I say? You cannot have the presidential candidate at the same time as the national chairman of the party,” Wike declared.

The former Rivers governor accused the PDP leadership of “stealing” both positions in a brazen display of disregard for equity and fairness, insisting that the party’s eventual loss at the polls was self-inflicted.

With the Abuja meeting now drawing national attention, analysts say the outcome may well determine whether the PDP can reclaim its lost glory or plunge deeper into crisis.