By Darlington Okpebholo Ray / Posted May 26, 2025
In Nigeria’s turbulent political landscape, betrayal is no longer rare, but the drama currently unfolding within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has become both bewildering and shameful. At the centre of this controversy stands Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, who continues to play a dual role, benefiting from the PDP’s goodwill while openly aligning himself with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
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That Wike still identifies as a PDP member while campaigning for President Bola Tinubu’s second term in office is a direct affront to party discipline, party loyalty, and political integrity. More disturbing, however, is the cowardly silence of the PDP leadership in the face of his brazen and well-documented acts of anti-party behaviour.
Wike has stated in numerous public events that he will do “everything possible” to ensure Tinubu wins again in 2027. This declaration, which he continues to reiterate, would ordinarily attract immediate disciplinary action from any serious political institution. Yet, the PDP, which claims to be the primary opposition force in the country, has failed to take any firm step against him.
It is this silence that has become most troubling. Rather than confronting Wike’s actions head-on, the PDP national leadership continues to extend him invitations to reconciliation meetings and stakeholder consultations, as though his presence strengthens rather than weakens the party.
Wike, who owes his political prominence to the very party he now undermines, is being permitted to tear down the walls of a house he once helped build. He was once a reliable foot soldier, rising through the PDP’s structure from LGA Chairman to Chief of Staff to Minister, and later, Governor of Rivers State. The party gave him everything. Today, he returns not with gratitude, but with a wrecking ball.
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His betrayal of the PDP is not subtle. It is loud, proud, and dangerous. That a man who campaigned against his own party’s presidential candidate in 2023, and openly canvassed for the APC, is still being treated as a stakeholder raises critical questions about the PDP’s moral compass and strategic direction.
What has Wike done that other loyal founding fathers of the party did not do? Why is the PDP unable or unwilling to expel a man who is clearly working against its survival? Has the leadership become so impotent that it now mystifies treachery in the name of unity?
Just this Sunday, Wike announced that he had withdrawn from the reconciliation process within the party. This came as no surprise to keen observers. Many believe he was never interested in mending the cracks. His presence at such meetings was, at best, a distraction and, at worst, a ploy to undermine any meaningful outcome from within.
If the PDP had managed to realign and emerge stronger from those peace efforts, what would have happened to Wike’s public pledges to support Tinubu in 2027? Would he have retracted his endorsements? Or would he have continued to undermine the party from within, using insider access to weaken it ahead of the elections?
By continuing to dignify Wike with invitations to internal meetings, the PDP sends a wrong signal to its loyal members. It tells them that betrayal is tolerable, that sabotage will not only be overlooked but rewarded with a seat at the decision-making table.
The fact that the National Executive Council, NEC, has again postponed its meeting speaks volumes. The party appears unwilling to confront its biggest threat from within. The NEC’s delays only buy time for Wike to strengthen his parallel structure and prepare the grounds for further destabilisation.
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This negligence is not without consequences. It risks eroding the faith of committed party members, stakeholders, and millions of Nigerians who had looked to the PDP as a viable alternative to the APC. Many now ask, if the PDP cannot discipline one man, how can it govern a nation?
PDP governors, particularly those from the South and Middle Belt such as Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Peter Mbah of Enugu, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, and Agbu Kefas of Taraba, must take a principled stand. If they continue to tolerate Wike’s antics, they may all go down with him, as his allegiance clearly lies elsewhere.
The notion that Wike is fighting injustice within the PDP is a smokescreen. He is not fighting for fairness, regional equity, or ideological purity. He is fighting Tinubu’s enemies and working to entrench the APC’s power. His motives are personal, not patriotic.
To allow him to operate within PDP ranks unchecked is to enable a Trojan horse. Wike is not a bridge-builder. He is a political demolition expert, skilled in manipulating chaos to retain relevance. His talent lies in disruption, not reconciliation.
The PDP must now make a choice. It must decide whether it wants to be a party of structure, loyalty, and principle or a disorganised association where betrayal carries no consequence. This moment demands bold leadership, not fearful diplomacy.
As the 2027 general election approaches, time is of the essence. The party must cleanse itself, define its identity, and rid its structure of those whose loyalty lies with its political enemies. To fail to act is to forfeit the future.
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In the end, the question remains loud and clear: Is Wike fighting injustice or simply fighting Tinubu’s opponents? The answer will define not only his legacy but that of the PDP. History will not forgive cowardice disguised as strategy.
Note: This article was first published by Truthlivenews.com.
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Deacon Darlington Okpebholo Ray, a Journalist writes from London England.