By Charles Pemu 
Abuja – FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has intensified the internal power struggle within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), urging stakeholders to unconditionally zone the party’s 2027 presidential ticket to the South. This assertive demand, made late Monday after a meeting of “Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP,” marks an early and defiant challenge to the party’s leadership, potentially reigniting the very regional tensions that fractured the PDP in 2023.
In a communiqué read by Wike, the group unequivocally declared that “in the spirit of fairness, inclusion, federal character principles and respect for our party constitution, the Party must make an unequivocal pronouncement zoning its presidential candidate to the South in the 2027 elections.” This move comes after what they termed “unbroken years of Northern President under President Muhammadu Buhari.”
The twist – Wike’s demand isn’t just about 2027; it’s a direct assault on the legitimacy of current party operations. The communiqué further asserted that only National Secretary Senator Sam Anyanwu can issue notices for critical party meetings, including the National Convention and National Executive Committee. Consequently, “all notices not issued by him and actions founded on them, including correspondences to INEC are null and void and of no effect whatsoever.”
This declaration effectively challenges key decisions and communications from the party’s current leadership, potentially throwing the PDP into a fresh constitutional crisis. Wike’s faction “unequivocally reaffirm[ed] Senator Sam Anyanwu as the duly elected and substantive National Secretary,” implying a rejection of any alternative or interim arrangements.
The Minister’s bold pronouncements signal a clear intent to reshape the PDP’s future from outside the party’s current mainstream. This early volley for 2027 and the direct challenge to the party’s administrative legitimacy underscore a brewing storm, promising to keep the PDP’s internal dynamics turbulent as the next election cycle approaches.