Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has issued a strong warning to the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), urging them to respect the outcome of the recently held South-South Zonal Congress in Calabar or risk deepening internal crisis within the party.
Speaking during his monthly media chat in Abuja, Wike said any attempt to undermine the congress, which produced Chief Dan Orbih as the National Vice Chairman (South-South), would be unacceptable and counterproductive.
> “Our South-South Zonal Congress was validly conducted in Calabar. It must be respected. There’s no doubt about it,” Wike declared.
He accused the PDP’s Acting National Chairman and some unnamed party leaders of attempting to sabotage the process, despite a court ruling that granted legal backing to the congress.
> “While we were holding the congress, the Acting National Chairman was busy telling people that PDP governors were not in support. Where are those governors now?” Wike queried, suggesting political hypocrisy within the party’s top ranks.
Wike maintained that the Calabar congress was both legal and transparent, warning that any call for a new congress would be an insult to the integrity of the party’s democratic processes.
> “The congress was held, a court ruling supported it, and the outcome stands. If anyone wants another congress, they should go ahead—but the one in Calabar remains legitimate,” he said.
The former Rivers State Governor’s comments come amid growing tension within the PDP over zonal leadership structures, power tussles, and preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Wike, a key figure in the G-5 bloc of PDP governors who opposed the party’s presidential ticket zoning in 2023, has consistently criticized what he describes as the party’s lack of internal discipline and fairness.
Observers say his latest remarks could further inflame division within the PDP if not carefully managed by the National Working Committee.
