Ibadan, Oyo State — November 15, 2025
In a dramatic escalation of internal strife, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at its national convention in Ibadan on Saturday expelled several high-profile figures — including Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, former Ekiti governor Ayo Fayose, and National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu — citing “anti-party activities.” The decision, taken amid a bitter leadership dispute, was announced on the convention floor as delegates completed accreditation and voting procedures.
The expulsions mark the latest turn in a long-running feud between factions aligned with the Damagum-led national leadership and those loyal to Wike. Party sources at the convention said the measures targeted officials accused of working against the party’s rules and decisions ahead of the elective exercises.
Senior figures and state governors reacted swiftly. Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri publicly distanced himself from the expulsions, warning that punitive actions risk deepening the crisis and could undermine the unity the convention was meant to restore. Party loyalists in Wike’s camp dismissed the move as performative, with aides describing the convention atmosphere as little more than “Detty/Dirty December in November.
The expulsions follow earlier disciplinary steps taken by the PDP National Working Committee in recent weeks, including suspensions of key Wike allies — a sequence of actions that culminated in Saturday’s harsher sanctions. Observers say the leadership contest and legal interventions that stalled the party’s timetable have left the PDP publicly fractured at a critical moment ahead of national electoral cycles.
Convention organizers proceeded with routine formalities despite the turmoil: delegates from at least 17 states were accredited, party flags were handed over, and voting activities were scheduled to continue into the afternoon, even as controversy swirled around the expulsions. The national leadership framed the disciplinary measures as necessary to preserve party discipline; opponents argued they will alienate large constituencies and complicate reconciliation efforts.