Wike’s Faction Defies Party Leaders, Sets March 28 for Rival PDP Convention

The “civil war” inside the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has just escalated from a boardroom brawl to a full-blown national showdown. In a move that effectively splits Nigeria’s main opposition party in two, the faction loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and Samuel Anyanwu has announced they are holding their own “real” National Convention on March 28.

This isn’t just a meeting; it’s a declaration of independence. For months, the PDP has been a house divided. On one side stands the leadership elected in Ibadan last November; on the other stands this “rebel” faction that claims they were illegally expelled and that the party has been hijacked by a few powerful interests.

Samuel Anyanwu, who still signs off as the party’s “true” National Secretary, revealed that the March date was chosen to finally “cleanse” the party and install a leadership that represents the grassroots. The faction is riding high on a recent court victory in Ibadan, which they interpret as a green light to ignore the current NWC and start from scratch.

“Nature abhors a vacuum,” the faction’s leadership has famously stated. By setting this date, they are forcing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into a corner. If two different groups hold two different conventions and elect two different sets of leaders, who gets to keep the famous Umbrella logo?

For political watchers, the March 28 date is a high-stakes gamble. It puts the Wike/Anyanwu camp on a direct collision course with the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led leadership, who have already dismissed the move as a “gathering of outcasts.”

As the 2027 election machinery begins to grind into gear, the PDP finds itself in a bizarre situation where it might have two “National Chairmen” and two “National Secretariats.” One thing is certain: between now and March, the only people busier than the politicians will be the lawyers.