Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have declared that the party’s national convention, scheduled for November 15 in Ibadan, Oyo State, will go ahead as planned, despite opposition from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and his allies.

The governors, under the PDP Governors’ Forum, met on Saturday, August 23, in Gusau, Zamfara State, where they restated their loyalty to the resolutions of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in July. They cautioned against any move to disrupt the convention, insisting that the PDP remains the most credible political platform to restore good governance in Nigeria.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the Forum urged party members to remain united, describing the PDP as a democratic institution that has consistently shown resilience in the face of defections and internal crises.

The meeting, chaired by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, also discussed issues of insecurity, democratic backsliding, and the country’s economic challenges. The governors accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of worsening national hardship through divisive leadership and unpopular policies.

Tensions in the PDP have heightened following Wike’s criticism of the party leadership. The former Rivers State governor recently rejected the South-South Caretaker Committee and insisted that his ally, Chief Dan Orbih, remains the rightful National Vice Chairman (South-South) after a controversial congress in Calabar. Wike warned that the party risked plunging into another crisis if his position was ignored.

Wike has also clashed with the zoning committee led by Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri and is no longer politically aligned with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, his former G5 ally. While PDP leaders accuse him of anti-party activities for serving in the APC-led government, Wike has dismissed the allegations.

Despite these divisions, the PDP governors stressed their determination to hold the convention on schedule, pledging to defend the party’s unity and rebuild public trust ahead of future elections.