Governor Mohammed Declares ‘End of Hooliganism’ for Wike’s PDP Faction

The fierce internal battle for control of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reached a dramatic flashpoint, with Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed emphatically declaring that the influence of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and his aligned faction has officially “come to an end.” Mohammed’s statement marks an escalation in the confrontation that saw rival party groups attempting to hold parallel meetings at the Wadata Plaza national secretariat on Tuesday.

The showdown at the PDP headquarters saw the two opposing camps physically contest for control of the party’s central administrative hub. On one side, the faction loyal to Governor Mohammed and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde presented the newly elected National Chairman, Dr. Kabiru Turaki, and National Secretary, Taofeek Arapaja. On the opposing side, the group backed by Nyesom Wike, who was recently expelled alongside Samuel Anyanwu, the embattled National Secretary, insisted on the validity of the former executive’s mandate.

Speaking with Arise News at the national secretariat amidst the tension, Governor Mohammed dismissed the opposing faction’s legitimacy entirely, stating that the Wike-led group lacked the legal backing to convene a Board of Trustees (BoT) or National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting or to occupy the party’s building.

“We don’t believe there is any BoT because that is an illegality,” Governor Mohammed asserted, urging the media to help educate the public on political orderliness. He stressed that the opposing faction was composed of individuals expelled by the recent national convention, a major gathering which he claimed represented “over 20 states of the Federation.”

The governor also addressed the Wike camp’s refusal to recognize the outcome of the Ibadan convention, which produced the new leadership. “The Convention has already dissolved his own time so the convention can obstruct any NWC anywhere,” he contended, directly challenging the claim by Samuel Anyanwu that his tenure as National Secretary remains valid until December 8, 2025. While acknowledging the presence of the rival group, who were reportedly backed by police in occupying the secretariat, Mohammed characterized the confrontation as a “showdown between good and bad.”

When questioned about the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognizing the new leadership under Turaki, Governor Mohammed insisted, “Yes, he is. He’s recognized by INEC because it’s a legal issue.” He dismissed speculation regarding non-recognition as the creation of “one man called Wike who thinks that he can continue to pollute the political space by showing gangsterism, animism and illegalism.” Mohammed ultimately concluded his forceful dismissal of the faction by stating unequivocally: “They should know that it has come to an end. That’s the end of hooliganism. They should go and leave us alone.” The escalating tension and the physical occupation of the secretariat underscore the deep-seated legal and political crisis currently threatening to tear Nigeria’s main opposition party apart.