Wike’s PDP Sets Up Caretaker Committee, Attacks Mainstream PDP for Disobeying Court Orders

By Yinka Giwa

The faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aligned with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has dissolved the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and set up a 60-day National Caretaker Committee, accusing the mainstream PDP leadership of flouting multiple court orders and attempting to force an “illegal convention” on the party.

Speaking during the 104th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at his Abuja residence, Wike condemned the rival faction for allegedly disregarding two subsisting Federal High Court judgments before proceeding to a State High Court to obtain an ex parte order compelling INEC to recognise their convention. He faulted the move as a deliberate attempt to override judicial authority. “How do you disobey two final judgments and still claim leadership?” Wike asked, insisting that any credible political organisation must respect the courts and internal regulations.

He criticised the faction for returning to yet another court after ignoring lawful judgments, questioning why they sought judicial validation for actions taken in defiance of earlier rulings. Wike warned that such manoeuvres threatened the party’s survival and accused newcomers from other parties of trying to destabilise the PDP that founding members had built since 1998.

Meanwhile, the Wike-aligned NEC announced the dissolution of the Acting National Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed-led NWC and unveiled a 13-member Caretaker Committee chaired by Hon. Abdulrahman Muhammad (North Central), with Senator Samuel Anyanwu (South-East) as Secretary. The committee has been mandated to conclude all outstanding state and zonal congresses in preparation for the national convention required by INEC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, said the transition plan aligns with the party’s constitution and is aimed at restoring order, reinforcing adherence to the rule of law, and preventing leadership vacuums. He added that caretaker structures are already being established in states and regions where congresses could not hold, including Anambra and the South-East, as part of ongoing internal reforms intended to strengthen the party’s organisation and unity.