PDP Crisis: Wike accuses Makinde of betrayal as Saraki’s reconciliation move tumbles

Former Rivers State Governor and PDP heavyweight Nyesom Wike has attacked Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, accusing him of being at the centre of the ongoing crisis tearing through the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

In a detailed statement titled “PDP Crisis: My Position,” Wike said the party has been lurching from one crisis to another since the 2023 general election, attributing the instability to “dishonesty and lack of trust amongst its key stakeholders.”

“Since after the 2023 General election, the PDP has been wantonly swinging from one part of a slippery precipice to another, owing fundamentally to dishonesty and lack of trust amongst its key stakeholders,” he wrote.

“Makinde is the Architect of Our Problems” – Wike

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According to Wike, a G5 meeting was held in Lagos to address these issues, where he confronted Governor Makinde head-on.

“I made it clear to the Governor of Oyo State, HE. Seyi Makinde, that he was the architect of our problems, pointing out to him that non-adherence to agreements reached was the bane of the party, and that he was the chief culprit of this anomaly,” the FCT Minister added.

Though he claimed the meeting ended with a resolution to “bury the hatchet and make progress,” Wike suggested that anything but reconciliation followed.

He recounted a follow-up meeting at former Senate President Bukola Saraki’s guest house in Abuja, attended by Makinde, Governors Umaru Fintiri and Bala Mohammed, and Saraki himself.

At the meeting, Wike reiterated his lack of personal animosity towards Governor Mohammed but accused him of repeatedly reneging on agreements while hiding behind the title of Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum.

“I made it clear that I had no personal problems with HE. Bala Mohammed, except that he hides under the façade of Chairman of PDP Governors Forum to serially renege on agreements,” he continued.

Wike said the meeting produced a set of resolutions: Senator Samuel Anyanwu remains the legally recognised National Secretary of the PDP, all legal matters concerning Rivers State and a proposed state of emergency should be withdrawn, and no stakeholder should deviate from the agreements reached.

“At the end of the meeting, we came to some resolutions… Nobody should deviate from the agreements so reached.”

“Agreements Already Being Crude Violated”

Despite these resolutions, Wike said the ink had barely dried before Makinde allegedly began undermining them.

“It is disheartening to note that even before the Bukola Saraki Reconciliation Committee began its work, the gentleman’s agreement we reached at Saraki’s Guest House was already being crudely violated.”

He accused Makinde of colluding with Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah to engineer a South-East leaders’ meeting where they threatened to withdraw from the PDP unless Udeh-Okoye was adopted as National Secretary.

“To my chagrin, Seyi Makinde had connived with Peter Mba of Enugu State to orchestrate the summoning of the meeting of so-called South-East leaders to recommend that if Ude Okoye was not adopted as Secretary, they would pull out of the PDP,” he said.

Wike also alleged that Makinde was behind attempts to impose the Deputy National Secretary as acting National Secretary—a move he described as illegitimate and destabilising.

“Seyi Makinde organised some people in the National Secretariat to insist that the Deputy National Secretary should act as National Secretary, in violation of the agreement earlier reached,” he stated.

He condemned a letter signed by the Deputy National Secretary convening an NEC meeting and slammed the rebuttal issued by the National Publicity Secretary, which was allegedly done on the orders of Makinde and Mbah.

This discredited a letter earlier signed by Anyanwu and the acting National Chairman endorsing the PDP governorship candidate in Anambra.

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“Respect Agreements or Risk Collapse”

Wike clarified that the PDP’s survival hinges on its leaders’ ability to respect internal agreements and set aside personal ambition.

“All these actions are in complete violation of the agreements reached and would not do the party any good whatsoever.”

As the PDP continues to battle internal divisions and legal tussles between Anyanwu and Udeh-Okoye, Wike’s statement signals a warning shot to party stakeholders ahead of the 2027 general election.

His message is simple: without unity, there may be no PDP to contest.

PDP CRISIS: MY POSITION

1. Since after the 2023 General election, the PDP has been wantonly swinging from one part of a slippery precipice to another, owing fundamentally to dishonesty and lack of trust amongst its key stakeholders. To stem this ugly trend, efforts have been…

— Nyesom Ezenwo Wike (@GovWike) May 25, 2025