Wike's camp fresh convention push puts PDP on brink — Gbenga Hashim warns

Fresh moves by allies of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to stage another factional convention have reignited tension within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), with presidential aspirant Gbenga Hashim warning that the party is being pushed dangerously close to the brink.

The warning follows a collapsed understanding between rival camps to work towards a unity convention, a breakdown now threatening to deepen the leadership tussle, trigger parallel structures, and further weaken the party ahead of future elections.

In a statement on Tuesday, Gbenga Hashim accused some actors within the party of derailing reconciliation efforts and warned against steps that could fracture the party even further.

“I urge the Wike faction not to renege on the gentleman’s agreement already made. This is about the survival and integrity of the PDP,” Hashim said.

He said the reconciliation process was derailed by what he described as the activities of a “fifth columnist,” allegedly working behind the scenes to undermine internal agreements in pursuit of outside interests.

Hashim also raised concerns over alleged moves to tamper with the executive committees of some state chapters; Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Kano, warning that such actions violate the party’s constitution and risk spreading the crisis.

“The tenures of state executives are fixed and cannot be arbitrarily altered,” he said, cautioning against exporting the national leadership crisis into states that are currently stable.

He listed the recognised state chairmen in the affected states as Raymond Dabo (Plateau), Adamu Ninga (Nasarawa), Edward Percy Masha (Kaduna), and Yusuf Ado Kibiya (Kano), insisting that their mandates should be respected.

Hashim warned that creating parallel structures in states without internal disputes could deepen divisions and further weaken the PDP at a critical political moment.

He also cautioned that key actors in the dispute risk emerging as political losers if they fail to resolve their differences and stick to an agreed framework for power-sharing and harmonising the rival National Working Committees.

“Any factional convention will ultimately produce a lose-lose outcome for the party,” he said.

He called on all stakeholders to return to the negotiating table and conclude work on a unified leadership structure, stressing that unity remains the party’s only realistic path to rebuilding its strength, credibility and electoral competitiveness.