Reconciliation: Wike, PDP governor’s camps hold talks Monday

The members of the reconciliation committee from the camps of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the Peoples Democratic Party governors are expected to meet on Monday as the joint panel prepares to harmonise conditions for resolving the lingering crisis within the party.

A high-ranking PDP leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, disclosed this to The Punch.

Similarly, the governors’ camp, Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee and the National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, confirmed that the reconciliation panel would meet to address the issues.

The National Secretary of the Wike-backed National Caretaker Committee, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, in an interview with The Punch, expressed confidence that the party would soon recover from its internal challenges.

The PDP governors had earlier backed the Ibadan convention held on November 15, which produced Turaki and other members of the National Working Committee for a four-year tenure.

They also supervised the transfer of leadership from former Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, to Turaki before Damagum’s tenure expired on December 9.

However, a faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, constituted a 13-member Caretaker Committee on December 8, naming Mohammed Abdulrahman as Acting National Chairman and Anyanwu as Acting National Secretary, among others, with a 60-day mandate.

Efforts by both the Wike-aligned faction and the governors’ camp to hold separate meetings at the PDP National Secretariat in Wadata Plaza on November 18, 2025, turned chaotic, leading to disorder and physical clashes.

Following the incident, the Nigeria Police Force sealed the secretariat, which has remained shut since then.

Both groups later approached the Independent National Electoral Commission seeking recognition, but the commission declined to acknowledge either faction, a development that led to a series of legal battles as preparations for the 2027 general elections intensified.

On February 12, the Court of Appeal heard the consolidated suits relating to the PDP leadership crisis and delivered its judgment on March 9.

In a ruling delivered by a panel headed by Justice Mohammed Danjuma, the appellate court affirmed the earlier decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which held that the processes that produced the November 15–16 Ibadan National Convention, backed by the governors, contravened the Electoral Act, the Nigerian Constitution, and the PDP Constitution.

As a result, the court nullified the outcome of the convention, declaring the election of Turaki and other members of the NWC invalid.

Justice Biobele Georgewill, who led a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday, granted all parties involved in the PDP elective convention dispute permission to pursue an out-of-court settlement.

The case was consequently adjourned sine die after counsel to both sides agreed to proceed with the reconciliation process.

Against this backdrop, the governors’ camp, alongside the Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees and the Wike-aligned Caretaker Committee, signalled their readiness for genuine reconciliation.

A source also disclosed that the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, who had earlier opposed the reconciliation move, is now open to the process.

According to the source, a committee comprising members and legal representatives from both camps held a meeting on Friday.

The source stated, “They had their first meeting on Friday. You know, the Bauchi State Governor, who earlier declined the idea of reconciliation with the Wike group, is now open to reconciliation. As a matter of fact, he has held discussions and had phone conversations with stakeholders from both camps.

“Both camps have nominated members of the reconciliation committee—about six representatives from each side, including legal practitioners. They held a meeting on Friday, which centred on identifying areas and issues for reconciliation. During the meeting, they agreed that members of both factions should return to their respective groups to harmonise the issues within their camps.

“They are expected to itemise their concerns and conditions and bring them forward so that the entire committee can review and harmonise them. The idea is for each representative to return to their caucus or camp, listen to their members, identify their conditions, and list those that are realistic and workable.”

Another source disclosed that no decision had yet been made on whether the process would be resolved through a convention or an interim caretaker committee.

He stated, “Both camps are expected to meet again on Monday to review all the conditions and try as much as possible to reach a common ground and harmonise them, with the aim of resolving the crisis as soon as possible. That is the stage we are at now. Hopefully, by Monday, the committee will meet again to harmonise the conditions, after which there may be a clearer direction for everyone.

“For now, no decision has not been made on who will become chairman or whether the party will proceed with a convention or set up a caretaker committee. While some stakeholders are pushing for a convention, others are advocating an interim caretaker committee. All these issues are expected to become clearer by Monday or as soon as the committee reviews and harmonises the conditions submitted by both camps.”