Convener of the Reset Lagos Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse, has accused Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike of being part of a wider plan to weaken the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and secure President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
In a statement on Saturday, Pearse, decried moves by some members of the party, purportedly led by Wike, to frustrate the exercise.
“Mr Wike wants to assume the powers of the NWC, forgetting that no individual is bigger than the party,” Pearse said.
He said without the PDP on the ballot, Nigeria risks becoming a one-party state under the APC, endangering democracy.
He said attempts to stop the Ibadan convention amounted to an assault on democracy and would be resisted.
“The PDP’s struggle today is not only for its survival but for the defence of Nigeria’s democracy,” Pearse said.
He warned that those undermining democratic institutions would face both national and international consequences.
“Nigeria must not be allowed to slide into authoritarian rule or failed state status,” Pearse said.
According to him, the party’s forthcoming national convention is vital to Nigeria’s democratic survival, adding that the convention was not merely a party affair but a national democratic necessity.
He explained that the convention, scheduled for Nov. 15 and Nov. 16 in Ibadan, would elect new officers into the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC).
According to him, the newly elected officers will succeed the current NWC members whose tenure ends in December 2025.
Pearse described the NWC as the engine room of the PDP, responsible for elections and coordination of party activities across the nation.
“The NWC is the heart and soul of the PDP and a vital organ of internal democracy within the party,” he said.
