The internal crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party has deepened as the faction loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike inaugurated a 19-member caretaker committee for the Lagos State chapter on Wednesday.
This move follows the faction’s recent dissolution of party executives in 14 states, including Lagos, as it seeks to assert control over the party machinery.
During the inauguration in Ikeja, Adedeji Doherty, the Deputy National Secretary of the Wike-backed National Working Committee, criticized some party leaders for the lingering crisis and announced that the new committee had the endorsement of “recognised PDP leaders”.
Sworn in as chairman, Kayode Ogunbiyi, stated that the committee’s immediate goal is to rebuild the party and announced that congresses would commence on January 9, 2026.
In a notable development, Doherty also voiced support for Wike’s stance on the 2027 presidential election, suggesting the faction could back President Bola Tinubu for a second term.
He reasoned that it would be a “herculean task” for any party to unseat the incumbent president. Doherty clarified that this would not mean decamping to the All Progressives Congress but was a pragmatic decision for the southern region to complete its presidential tenure.
The Wike faction, led by acting National Chairman Alhaji Abdulraman Mohammed, has dismissed the national convention that produced the rival leadership of Tanimu Turaki as illegitimate and vowed to reposition the party by adhering strictly to its constitution.
