Distrust In Enugu PDP As Wike Group Takes Charge

The congress of the Peoples Democratic Party in Enugu State held last week in Enugu with the team led by the FCT Minister Nyesome Wike elected to steer the caretaker committee of the party in the state. The Wike group, headed by Hon Victor Okechi, was elected by a consensus during a congress supervised by the national body of the party as well as representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Aside Wike’s group, there is the second faction led by Barr Steve Orurua, which is loyal to the Governor Seyi Makinde faction. The Oruruo group was inaugurated by the South-East leadership of the PDP, making the group seem very genuine until the recent Court of Appeal verdict that quashed the PDP convention held in Ibadan. While the Oruruo group awaits the decision of the Makinde group towards appeal, some of its members seem rudderless.

“My team within the Oruruo group is thinking towards joining ADC,” says a PDP leader in the state on condition of anonymity. “The frustration is becoming too much. Joining ADC is a matter of conscience. We want to align with Mr Peter Obi. We feel that the Okechi-led state PDP caretaker committee is an APC faction in disguise. If they are led by Wike, and Wike is for President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, how else can I tell you the direction the pendulum will swing? Most of our members are secretly registering as ADC members. And I encourage all Enugu people.”

It was gathered that the Oruruo group is also planning membership registration if it gets a nod from the embattled Turaki-led faction of the party.

You’re Dreaming – Enugu PDP Stakeholders Tell Orurou

Two leading PDP stakeholders in Enugu State who have remained focused that PDP will rise again after the defection of Gov Peter Mbah and the entire PDP executives of the state to the All Progressives Party are Barr Ray Nnaji, a former National Auditor of the party, and Engr Nick Ozonsi, a former Chairman of Udi LGA. Both had earlier criticised the factionalisation of PDP in the state. They have however aligned with the Wike group following the verdict of the Court of Appeal. They advised the Oruruo group to join Okechi before it is too late.

According to Barr Nnaji, the congress that produced the Okechi team is legitimate. He urged patriotic PDP people in the state to support the new leadership. He said, “You cannot do any congress or elective position outside the Electoral Act and the INEC guidelines, which are in line with the Electoral Act. We have a new Electoral Act of 2026 which has narrowed the methods of electing electoral officers and even primaries of parties to two: either you adopt a direct selection of party officials or by consensus. Anything outside these will be nullified. Direct method involves starting from the polling units which involves a lot of resources. PDP in Enugu State resorted to consensus, which involves agreements between parties.”

He said he personally moved the motion for the adoption of the Okechi group, and put the question to the delegate. “They agreed in unison. There was no dissenting voice,” he said. “It is not predetermined so to say. The election was in accordance with the law.”

On his part, Engr Nick Ozonsi called on the Oruruo group to hide their ego and align with the constitutionally recognised PDP in the state. “Everybody should understand that the Appeal Court in Abuja has given mandate to the Nyesome Wike group. I don’t know where Steve Oruruo is coming from. Seyi Makinde and his group are already taking steps to have peace with the current PDP leadership whom the court has given the verdict. The verdict of the Appeal Court empowers the current Sam Anyanwu’s team to start state congresses. They didn’t just stand up to start it. They have the mandates of the court. Anybody in Enugu or elsewhere trying to start e-registration is doing it for himself or to entertain people. The current PDP in Enugu State, headed by Hon Vitus Okechi, is the authentic PDP leadership empowered by the PDP in Enugu State.”

He said the state congress was witnessed by the PDP executives from the national as well as INEC representatives. He added, “What we should be talking about now is the credibility of those who were elected. I want to tell Enugu people that the Okechi team are qualified looking at their past records. They were voted through their experiences. The calibre of men we elected to lead PDP this time is not those that we imported from London or Asia. They are the indigenous PDP people of Enugu State.”

Ray Nnaji likened the Oruruo group to “a drowning man looking for something to grab”. He said, “On the 11th of this month, during the meeting of the PDP National Board of Trustees, which I attended, the decision was taken for the congress that took place last Saturday. By next Saturday, the zonal congress will come up. Then 29th and 30th of this month, the national convention of the party will come up in Abuja. At that NEC meeting, we were made to understand that the Turaki-led group is looking for a way to reconcile. Our leader, Nyesome Wike, said nobody is against reconciliation, but we have to bargain from the point of strength.”

Appealing to Supreme Court!

Both PDP stalwarts claim that going to the Supreme Court to appeal the verdict of the Court of Appeal will be counter-productive.

According to Nnaji, “Even if the Makinde group challenges the position of the Court of Appeal at the Supreme Court, there is no time. Next month, we will go into primaries; from there, the preparation for elections commences. The best bait for the Steven Oruruo group is to quickly align themselves with this group that has been recognised by law except they want to leave the party. By next week, we shall start out registration. After the registration, anybody that is not part of us should look for another party.”

He said the crisis had come to an end, adding that “Even if you go to the Supreme Court, the matter will not be listed for hearing until the whole matter is over. By the time you will be coming again, the court will tell you it is an academic exercise. That is the point. That is reason why Saraki and others who saw this advised the Turaki group to align with the Wike group. Anybody who calls himself a patriotic member of the PDP should not go further with any crisis. The Appeal Court has actually resolved everything. Let everybody sheathe their swords because we have taken off. We are trying to ensure that the congresses are concluded by the end this month so we can start preparing for the primaries. We are focused that PDP that owns this state remains what it is it.”

In Ozonsi’s view, “Former Senate President Bukola Saraki, who is the reconciliation chairman of the PDP, advised the Makinde team that it is time for reconciliation. The time between now and the election is too short for anyone to achieve one’s dream at the Supreme Court. Oruruo may be anticipating for something which is not possible. He may be purchasing an aeroplane in the dream. The game has changed. His group has a short time to join, or may miss their chances of being in the PDP.”

He claimed that many former PDP members who left the party were becoming stranded because they did not get what they wanted in APC. “It is very clear. People were thinking that PDP has collapsed, and can never rise again. To their chagrin, PDP has risen again. PDP is a slogan in Enugu State. A lot of people are now running back to the PDP. PDP has come to stay. By the time you see the PDP national and state congresses, you will know that PDP is a party to beat in Nigeria. Those that ran out will return. There are some that have been displaced in the new party where they ran to. I pleaded with Gov Mbah not to move to APC, that what goes up must come down. Those who left PDP went out to contest with those already in APC. That is the problem they are having. The original people in APC don’t want to give them space. At a time I said if I were the only man remaining in PDP, I would remain.”