PDP Reschedules NWC Meeting Over Wike, Governors Tension

The People’s Democratic Party, PDP’s National Working Committee meeting has been rescheduled for next week following the rising tensions between former Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike and the PDP Governors Forum over the status of Rivers State party congresses. 

Recall that during the prolonged political dispute between Wike and Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the PDP governors sided with Fubara, demanding that the governor be accepted as the PDP’s leader in Rivers State.

The governors’ declaration stirred reactions from Wike, who warned them to stop meddling in the Rivers state matter or he would ‘put fire’ to their states.

In a swift reaction on Tuesday, September 3 the PDP Governors’ Forum criticized the FCT Minister calling his warning reckless.

They insisted on maintaining their position, reminding Wike that as Rivers governor, he had the same privileges as the party’s head.

The PDP governors have demanded that the ward and local government congresses held in Rivers State, which provided the former Rivers governor with the party’s structure, be invalidated and new ones held.

Meanwhile, the PDP NWC meeting, which was earlier billed for Wednesday and would have allowed for further discussion of the differences between Wike and the governors, has been postponed.

Despite a court injunction barring the PDP’s congresses in Rivers State, the Damagum-led NWC proceeded with the congress, which handed control of the party structure in Rivers State to Wike.

On August 24, the PDP Governors’ Forum expressed support for Fubara, requesting the NWC to accept him as the state’s party leader and hand over control of the party structure to him.

Reports say, the national leadership of the party headed by Umar Damagum postponed the NWC meeting set for Wednesday to next week due to rising tensions and to avoid a conflict.