BREAKING: Wike-led PDP faction expels Makinde, Bode George, others

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party took another fiery turn on Tuesday as the factional National Executive Committee loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, ratified the expulsion of Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State.

The NEC also expelled former Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara; former National Vice Chairman of the party, Bode George, and the recently elected party National Chairman, Kabiru Turaki, SAN.

The move comes just days after the controversial PDP national convention held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, last Saturday, which saw Wike and his loyalists expelled from the party.

The development triggered Tuesday’s heated confrontation between both camps at the party’s national secretariat in Wadata Plaza, Abuja, where the two factions had scheduled parallel NEC and Board of Trustees meetings.

The factional NEC, at its meeting held at the national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday, also dissolved the state executive councils in Oyo, Bauchi, Zamfara, Yobe, Lagos, and Ekiti States, directing the constitution of caretaker committees and the conduct of fresh congresses.

A communiqué from the meeting, read by National Secretary Senator Sam Anyanwu, stated, “NEC received the report of the Acting National Chairman, Hon. Abdulrahman Mohammed, detailing breaches of Articles 58(1) and 59(1), including anti-party activities, disobedience to court orders, and conduct bringing the party into disrepute.

“NEC approved the commencement of disciplinary procedures against the following: Adolphus Wabara, Olabode George, Ben N. Obi, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, Bala Mohammed, Oluseyi Makinde, Dauda Lawal, Taofiq Arapaja, Setonji Koshoedo, Okechukwu Obiechina Daniel, Woyengikuro Daniel, Mohammed Kadade Suleiman, Emmanuel Ogidi, Sumaila Adamu Burga, Umar Sani, Udom Emmanuel, and Emmanuel Enorden.” (Punch)