2027: Wike urges PDP to reclaim defectors, rebuild strength as major opposition

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has urged the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction aligned with him to intensify efforts to reclaim defected members and rebuild its strength as a credible opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Wike made this statement during a courtesy visit to the National Working Committee led by Abduraham Mohammed at the PDP headquarters, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, on Friday.

“My coming here this morning is to reassure you of my support for the members of the National Working Committee. I’ve come here to pledge my support and my loyalty to all of you.

“I also want to urge you to do what you can to bring back our members who have defected, thinking that the party would no longer come back.

“Make sure you attract them back into the fold, talk to them, and send a powerful team to interact with them.

“Yes, we had crisis and we have almost come out of the crisis; it is not going to be easy. It requires a lot of hard work, it requires a lot of sacrifice for you to move the party forward,” he said.

Taking a veiled swipe at the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Wike argued that winning elections, not attracting defectors, defines a true opposition.

“You cannot become a main opposition party without winning an election. So those who say that they are leading opposition, they have never contested in any election. So, how can they be the leading opposition party?

“They are claiming that people are defecting to their party and that’s how they become the leading opposition. Yet again, they criticise people who are defecting to other parties, that is wrong; but those ones defecting to their own party, that is right,” he added.

Wike further commended the committee for resuming activities at the party’s secretariat following a Federal High Court judgment that enabled their return.

“That shows that you are ready to kick-start daily activities. Let me also congratulate you for taking that bold initiative,” he said.

In response, Mohammed assured that the new leadership would reposition the party and address lapses from the past.

“We will do everything possible to lead the party to a higher level. PDP has come to stay and under my leadership, we will make sure that we win elective positions in the 2027 general election,” he said.

“We know that a lot of things need to be done at the secretariat, but we took our time to ensure that certain things are done, because a lot of things have been abandoned.

“Some have been taken away by the past national working committee because there is no sincerity in that leadership and they believe that the secretariat belongs to them as individuals.

“We are going to correct that impression under this new leadership,” Mohammed added.

Also speaking, Anyanwu praised Wike’s support and described his visit as a reflection of humility.

“Today, we can say that in this administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that PDP, through you (Wike), has showcased what we can do. And that’s why the whole country is happy.

“When you chose to come to visit us, I can’t imagine what kind of humility is that,” Anyanwu added.

The PDP, after months of internal crisis, now faces the task of rebuilding trust, reuniting its ranks, and convincing Nigerians it can still function as a strong alternative in a shifting political landscape.