Resume At Wadata Plaza Within 7 Days Or Get Sacked, Wike Camp Threatens PDP Workers

The crisis rocking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party deepened on Friday as the faction of the party aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, issued a seven-day ultimatum to party workers who allegedly defected to the rival Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC), directing them to return to duty at the party’s national secretariat or face dismissal.

The warning came amid growing tensions within the PDP following the lingering leadership tussle that has split the party into rival camps, with both factions laying claim to the control of the national secretariat and party structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking exclusively with LEADERSHIP Sunday on Friday, the national secretary of the Wike-backed PDP leadership, Samuel Anyanwu, said the party leadership had decided to offer what he described as a “window of reconciliation” for workers who abandoned the Wadata Plaza secretariat to work with the Turaki-led faction.

According to him, the grace period would expire in seven days, after which affected staff members would be deemed to have voluntarily abandoned their positions and consequently lose their jobs.

“We are giving them this window opportunity to come back and resume their work, and if this period elapses, they should consider themselves sacked,” Anyanwu said.

“We cannot continue to function without administrative staff.

That would not augur well for our party, and it will not be healthy for the smooth running of the secretariat.”

The latest development is seen as another sign of the widening crack within the PDP, which has struggled to regain internal stability since the aftermath of the 2023 general elections.

The party has remained sharply divided between loyalists of Wike and those aligned with other blocs within the PDP leadership, with the dispute escalating into parallel meetings, competing directives and legal battles over the control of the party machinery.

Anyanwu insisted that the faction currently operating from the party secretariat remains committed to restoring administrative order and stabilising party operations ahead of future electoral contests.

He disclosed that workers currently loyal to the Wike-backed leadership are being paid regularly, while also alleging that staff members aligned with the Turaki camp are equally receiving salaries from that faction’s leadership.

He said the party leadership would not hesitate to commence recruitment of fresh workers should the affected staff refuse to return within the stipulated period.

“Yes, we will replace them after exhausting all the processes given to reintegrate them,” he stated.

“We will not have any option other than to employ new staff to work in their places. We cannot continue this way because we need to hit the ground running.”

A visit by our correspondent to the PDP national secretariat in Abuja showed increasing political activities around the complex, especially as governorship and other aspirants continued to troop into the venue following screening exercises for party primaries held at the Legacy House.

However, despite the movement of party leaders and aspirants, only a handful of workers were seen carrying out administrative duties within the secretariat, reflecting the lingering impact of the leadership crisis on daily operations.

One of the staff members at the secretariat, who spoke anonymously for fear of victimisation, confirmed that the internal dispute had significantly disrupted activities at the party headquarters.

The worker said that although security personnel and cleaners were receiving salaries regularly, uncertainty remained over the welfare and status of senior administrative staff caught in the middle of the factional battle.

“They have been paying us, the security personnel and cleaners here, but I am not too sure about the senior workers because the court cases have really affected this place,” the source said.

“Things are just picking up gradually, and we pray God brings this problem to an end.”

The source further disclosed that the Wike-backed leadership was planning to recruit new workers to fill vacancies that may arise if those aligned with the rival faction fail to return.

He also expressed concern over the fate of colleagues who chose to remain with the Turaki-led camp, especially following recent judicial pronouncements allegedly favouring the Wike-backed leadership.

“I am worried about my colleagues who followed the other group now that the Supreme Court has allegedly returned power to these people,” the worker added.

“I pray they will still be considered and recalled back to their offices.”

Reacting to the ultimatum, the national publicity secretary of the Tanimu Turaki-led national working committee NWC, Ini Ememobong, dismissed the threat of dismissal as unrealistic and politically motivated.

Ememobong maintained that workers attached to the Turaki camp were legitimately carrying out their duties and should not be intimidated by threats from the rival faction.

He said only a few workers were currently operating with the Turaki-led leadership but insisted that the remained functional in preparation for the 2027 general elections..

He described the ultimatum as an attempt to force workers into submission through intimidation rather than lawful administrative procedure.

The latest exchange between the two camps underscores the unresolved power struggle threatening the PDP’s unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.