By: Daure David
In a fiery address that has sent ripples through Nigeria’s political landscape, Bauchi State Governor and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, has openly challenged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over threats to disrupt the party’s forthcoming national convention.
Speaking at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja during the inauguration of the 2025 National Convention Organising Committee, Governor Mohammed responded to mounting tensions within the party, particularly from Wike and his allies who have voiced strong opposition to the convention scheduled for November 15–16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
“If anybody wants to form a faction of fools, we will allow him,” Mohammed declared. “We are not cowards and we are not afraid of any person. We agree to consensus and accommodation, but that is not cowardice. We can’t keep quiet and allow people to continue to take us to the slaughterhouse or take us for granted. Enough is enough”.
The remarks come amid growing dissent from a bloc of PDP leaders aligned with Wike, including former governors Samuel Ortom, Ayodele Fayose, and Okezie Ikpeazu. The group, under the banner of “Eminent Leaders and Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP,” has issued a list of conditions they insist must be met for the convention to be considered valid. These include fresh congresses in Ebonyi and Anambra states, recognition of the South-South congress held in Calabar, and the retention of the national chairmanship in the North-Central zone.
Despite the internal friction, PDP leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to holding the convention as planned. PDP National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, emphasized that his conciliatory stance should not be mistaken for weakness, but rather a deliberate effort to preserve party unity. “The PDP is not broken, it is not defeated. It is marching forward, stronger and more determined to reclaim the presidency in 2027,” he stated.
Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, who chairs the Convention Organising Committee, pledged to deliver a credible and inclusive convention. “This year’s convention is not chaired by a learner. It is chaired by a credible, resolute, and fair chairman,” Fintiri said.
As the countdown to the Ibadan convention begins, the PDP faces a defining moment in its quest to reconcile internal divisions and present a united front ahead of the 2027 general elections. Governor Mohammed’s bold stance signals a shift in tone among PDP governors, who appear increasingly unwilling to tolerate what they describe as “arrogance and impunity” within the party ranks.
