Former Presidential Media Adviser Umar Sani has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of deliberately destabilising the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Sani made it clear that PDP leaders want the ex-Rivers governor to leave the party.
Speaking in an interview in ARISE News on Saturday, Sani elaborated on the growing rift between Wike and several PDP governors, the leadership tussle, and its implications for the opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to Sani, the internal crisis in the PDP stems from resistance to Wike’s influence rather than personal animosity among its leaders.
Addressing Wike directly, Sani said the former Rivers State governor should leave the party if he believes it cannot survive without him.
“As far as we are concerned, we want him to leave. Let him go to the APC and see how we survive. We cannot harbour someone destructive,” he said.
However, Sani added that reconciliation remains possible.
“If he realises his mistakes and comes back saying, ‘Please accept me,’ of course, we will. It is the issue of the prodigal son.”
In the same vein, Sani argued that Wike’s disputes with PDP governors are not personal but reflect “the problem of the PDP,” noting that party leaders suspect “a mole within the party entrenched to destabilise it”?
“You can’t take people all the time you are in crisis. You are fighting this, you are fighting that,” he said.
“The reason all these things are happening is not that they have a problem with him, nor does he have a problem with them. It is the problem of the PDP.”
Sani said tensions intensified when it became evident that Wike would have no representation in the current National Working Committee, NWC.
“This is the first time the party will form a National Working Committee without a single member from him.
“He believes he should have had representation, but they felt, no you cannot eat your cake and have it. You cannot work for the APC and expect to impose people in the PDP,” he explained.
On Wike’s legal challenges to party processes, Sani dismissed them as baseless.
“All those issues he took to court are just tissues of lies,” he said, adding that the PDP met the constitutional requirements for its convention.
“If you are going to a convention, what is required is two-thirds of the states. We had that. Claims that 16 states lacked congresses are false.”
Responding to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s claim that Wike promised to weaken the PDP for President Bola Tinubu in 2027, Sani said he trusted Makinde’s account.
“I don’t believe Governor Makinde would flagrantly lie about Wike. He is not known to lie. I am confident Wike said so.”
Sani also addressed Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed’s accusations that Wike was behind harassment by anti-graft agencies, noting Wike’s influence in Abuja.
He criticised the EFCC for allegedly targeting opposition figures while ignoring APC members.
“This EFCC is a case study in selective prosecution. How can we trust it?” he asked.
Despite the turmoil, Sani expressed confidence that the PDP would resolve its crisis through the courts.
“The Supreme Court has clearly stated that INEC has no business interfering in the internal affairs of political parties.
“We are waiting for the superior courts to affirm those judgments. Once they do, the matter is over.”
Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, Sani dismissed suggestions that the PDP was finished, insisting the party would regain momentum once legal issues were resolved.
“Once the PDP surmounts this, the traffic will shift. All routes will lead to the PDP,” he said.
On Peter Obi’s move to the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Sani said the former Labour Party presidential candidate could still return.
“If he is denied the ticket elsewhere, he has only one option to come back to the PDP, and we will give him the ticket.”
He stressed that the PDP remains the strongest platform for any serious presidential ambition, with its structure, reach, and followership widely recognised.
