JUST-IN: Wike-led PDP ‘Expels’ Makinde, Mohammed, Lawal, Others

The factional National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday, ratified the expulsion of three Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State.

Also expelled were former PDP Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Adolphus Wabara; former National Vice Chairman, Chief Bode George; and the newly elected National Chairman, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN.

This decision came on the heels of last Saturday’s PDP national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, where Wike and ten others, including former governors, serving lawmakers, and key party figures were suspended over alleged anti-party activities.

The Ibadan convention, convened by the other faction of the party, accused Wike’s bloc of attempting to “destabilise the party structure” ahead of a planned nationwide reorganisation.

LEADERSHIP recalls that on Tuesday, both factions arrived at the PDP National Secretariat in Wadata Plaza, Abuja, to hold parallel NEC and Board of Trustees meetings.

The clash triggered a chaotic scene, as security operatives struggled to separate supporters from both camps, resulting in heated arguments, pushing, and an eventual shutdown of parts of the secretariat before the meetings proceeded separately.

During its own session, the Wike-backed factional NEC also announced the dissolution of the state executive councils in Oyo, Bauchi, Zamfara, Yobe, Lagos, and Ekiti States.

It directed that caretaker committees be immediately constituted in the affected states, with fresh congresses to follow.

A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and read by the faction’s National Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu, stated, “NEC received the report of the Acting National Chairman, Hon. Abdulrahman Mohammed, detailing breaches of Articles 58(1) and 59(1), including anti-party activities, disobedience to court orders, and conduct bringing the party into disrepute.

“NEC approved the commencement of disciplinary procedures against the following: Adolphus Wabara, Olabode George, Ben N. Obi, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, Bala Mohammed, Oluseyi Makinde, Dauda Lawal, Taofiq Arapaja, Setonji Koshoedo, Okechukwu Obiechina Daniel, Woyengikuro Daniel, Mohammed Kadade Suleiman, Emmanuel Ogidi, Sumaila Adamu Burga, Umar Sani, Udom Emmanuel, and Emmanuel Enorden.”