Former Governor of Jigawa State and founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sule Lamido, has declared he will no longer attend any party meetings until the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and what he termed “other impostors” are expelled from the party.
Lamido’s absence from Tuesday’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja raised eyebrows, prompting him to issue a fiery statement condemning the current state of affairs within the party.
“Wike is a disaster,” Lamido said. “He is a product of the PDP—nurtured and made relevant by the party. Today, he turns around to destroy it. I will not sit in the same meeting with impostors. Until the party removes these people, I will not dignify this rot with my presence.”
The PDP has been engulfed in a prolonged leadership crisis that has paralyzed its internal mechanisms. Tuesday’s NEC meeting was the first in over a year, following several failed attempts to convene due to infighting and power struggles. The meeting had to be relocated to the party’s presidential campaign office, Legacy House in Maitama, after the FCT Administration—under Wike’s leadership—sealed off the PDP national secretariat.
Lamido’s stance underscores a growing dissatisfaction with the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC), which many critics accuse of lacking the will to enforce discipline and protect the party’s integrity.
“What is the NWC afraid of?” Lamido queried. “Why hasn’t Wike been expelled? Why is Samuel Ortom still on the Board of Trustees after openly supporting President Tinubu? These are clear violations. If the PDP is to survive, it must cleanse itself.”
Despite the controversies, Tuesday’s meeting drew significant attendance from high-ranking party members. Governors from Bauchi, Oyo, Plateau, Adamawa, Taraba, Enugu, Osun, Bayelsa, and Zamfara were present, as were key figures from the party’s National Working Committee and Board of Trustees, including acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, BoT Chairman Adolphus Wabara, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Bukola Saraki, Bode George, and others.
Wike’s role remains contentious. Though pivotal to PDP’s 2023 campaign efforts, his falling out with the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and subsequent ministerial appointment under the APC government have sparked accusations of betrayal and deepened internal rifts.
As the 2027 elections approach, pressure is mounting on the PDP leadership to either take a hardline stance by purging perceived anti-party elements or pursue reconciliation to preserve what remains of the party’s national influence. Many fear that without urgent reform, the PDP risks losing its relevance amid ongoing opposition realignments and defections to the ruling APC.
