By ADENIYI SALAUDEEN

The governors urged members to resist attempts to derail the convention, describing the PDP as a viable alternative for restoring Nigeria.

The Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum on Saturday warned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and others against derailing the national convention of the party scheduled to hold in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15, 2025.

In a communiqué at the end of its 7th meeting held on Saturday, August 23, 2025, in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, the governors reaffirmed their full support for the resolutions of the 101st National Executive Committee (NEC) held in July 2025 regarding the November 15, 2025 national convention of the party.

PDP governors in Zamfara State on Saturday, August 23, 2025

The governors urged members to resist attempts to derail the convention, describing the PDP as the only democratic institution and viable alternative for restoring Nigeria to the path of good governance and development.

“The Forum reaffirms its full commitment to the resolutions of the 101st National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of July 2025 regarding the November 15 National Convention.

“It urges members to resist all attempts to derail the convention by anti-party forces; but to see the PDP as the only democratic institution and viable alternative for restoring Nigeria along the path of good governance and national development,” the communiqué partly read.

The meeting, chaired by the Forum’s Chairman and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, deliberated extensively on the state of the nation, insecurity, the erosion of democratic values, and preparations for the party’s forthcoming national convention.

The forum commended the resilience of PDP leaders and members in overcoming orchestrated defections, stressing that such distractions cannot diminish the party’s grassroots appeal or the public’s yearning for affordable living and relative security as experienced under PDP-led administrations.

The governors reiterated their commitment to rescuing the country and accused the APC of divisive governance and policies that continue to impose hardship on Nigerians.

Wike, on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, expressed dissatisfaction with the South-South Caretaker Committee constituted by the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) and the retention of Ali Odefa as National Vice Chairman (South East).

The former Rivers State governor warned that a fresh crisis could erupt if the PDP refused to acknowledge the zonal congress that elected his ally, Dan Orbih, as National Vice Chairman, South-South.

He said, “Well, it is over for now. A few things are remaining, and I have told them that they must do it. Our congress was held in Calabar, and there’s nothing anybody can tell us. If they want to have another round of crisis, so be it. In that congress, Chief Dan Orbih emerged as the National Vice Chairman. They never wanted the congress to be held, but congress was held.

“The so-called acting national chairman of the party wrote a letter to INEC after congress was held that the congress has been postponed. There is no two ways about it. The National Vice Chairman of PDP South-South is Chief Dan Orbih. If they don’t agree, that’s another round of crisis.”

Wike had also unequivocally rejected the zoning committee, led by Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri. Wike and his former ally and G5 member, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, have also parted ways, as party members blamed the FCT minister in the APC cabinet for anti-party activities, which he has denied.(Channels)