Wike faction expels 3 PDP Governors amid party crisis

‎A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has ratified the expulsion of three sitting governors and several prominent party leaders.
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‎The decision taken at a factional National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Tuesday in Abuja, targets Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, along with former Board of Trustees Chairman Senator Adolphus Wabara and newly elected factional Chairman Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, among others.
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‎The move follows the PDP national convention held last Saturday in Ibadan, which was organized by the rival faction and resulted in the election of Turaki as National Chairman and the expulsion of Wike and his loyalists (including FCT Minister Wike, former Governor Fayose, and National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu.
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‎The Wike-backed NEC, through its Acting National Chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Abdulrahman, justified the expulsions by emphasizing the alleged anti-party activities and disobedience to subsisting court orders by the affected members, which they claimed brought the party into disrepute.
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‎The faction also dissolved the State Executive Committees in Bauchi, Oyo, Zamfara, Yobe, Lagos, and Ekiti States, directing the National Working Committee (NWC) to constitute caretaker committees and hold fresh congresses.
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‎The expulsions were announced shortly after a physical confrontation erupted at the PDP National Secretariat (Wadata Plaza) in Abuja as the Wike-led faction blocked the opposing camp, which included Governors Makinde and Mohammed, from holding their own parallel meetings, reportedly leading to the deployment of tear gas.
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‎The faction claims that its actions are necessary to uphold the PDP’s constitution, restore discipline, and stop “impunity” and “lawlessness” within the party. They argue that the expulsions are aimed at stabilizing and strengthening the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
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‎Meanwhile, the Governors and other expelled leaders view the Wike faction’s meeting and decisions as illegal and invalid, arguing that the Wike faction itself had been expelled by the convention held in Ibadan just days prior.