• How Wike-led group’s bid for INEC recognition flopped
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, yesterday dismissed claims by a factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tanimu Turaki (SAN), that Nigeria’s democracy was in peril, describing the remarks as reckless and capable of misleading the international community.
Turaki had, while addressing journalists at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday, alleged that the nation’s democratic structures were under severe threat and called for foreign intervention. In an unusual plea, the factional chairman urged President Donald Trump and other Western leaders to intervene, alleging that “genocide against Nigerian Christians” was underway and accusing a serving minister of leading “armed thugs” against party officials.
According to Turaki, the situation required “urgent external attention.”
“I want to call on President Trump… what is at stake is not just genocide against Nigerian Christians. He should come and save democracy in Nigeria,” he declared.
But Wike yesterday denounced Turaki’s declaration when he received the Board and Management of the newly established South-South Development Commission (SSDC), led by its Chairman, Chibudom Nwuche, and the Managing Director, Ms Usoro Akpabio, on a courtesy visit in Abuja.
Wike, visibly displeased, described Turaki’s outburst as “dangerous and irresponsible political rhetoric” that falsely portrayed the country as unstable.
“Essentially, you are telling the world this government is committing genocide. When security agencies invite you to clarify, people will shout: ‘They want to kill him!’ This is a national security threat.”
The minister added that no individual or political actor should invite foreign powers into Nigeria’s domestic politics.
But the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, in his comment on the political crisis at Wadata Plaza, raised the alarm over what he described as a dangerous slide toward authoritarianism.
In a strongly worded statement in Abuja on yesterday, Gabam said the incident was not an isolated altercation but a “brazen display of anarchy” that reflects a deeper pattern of using state institutions to suppress dissenting voices.
According to him, eyewitness accounts suggest an emerging trend where state structures are allegedly deployed to intimidate political opponents, a development he warned could erode public trust and destabilize Nigeria’s democratic system.
He accused security agencies of abandoning their primary responsibility of safeguarding lives and property, alleging that they were instead being used as tools to harass political rivals.
The SDP chairman also warned that Nigeria was witnessing a repeated cycle of political manipulation through abuse of constitutional processes, recalling that similar tactics were used to destabilise the SDP in the past.
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that the move by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction led by Abdulrahman Muhammed to receive the recognition of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) through the back door has hit a brick wall.
Recall that last Tuesday, the Abdulrahman faction, which enjoys the support of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, made a bold effort to cement a splinter of the main opposition party.
Checks by The Guardian revealed that the faction had written a letter to the electoral commission expressing their desire for a postponement of the PDP state congress-cum-governorship primary for Ekiti State.
The letter dated November 6, 2025, and jointly signed by Abdulrahman Muhammed and Samuel Anyanwu as acting national chairman and secretary, respectively, bore the reference number PDP/NS/INEC/VOL.11/008 and was addressed to the INEC chairman.
While urging the electoral umpire to refer to their earlier letter to the commission on the subject matter, the Wike group stated: “We wish to inform you that the PDP Ekiti State Congress and Governorship primary slated for November 8th, 2025, has been postponed due to logistical reasons constraining this exercise. A new date will be formally communicated when decided.”
But, in its reply through a letter dated November 10, INEC, through its Secretary, Mrs Rose Oriaran Anthony, informed the group that the commission had rejected their submission due to non-compliance with the requirements of the Electoral Act.
The commission’s letter read: “Your letter on the above subject matter refers. The Commission draws your attention that the notice is not in compliance with the requirements of part 2(12)3 of the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022, which provides (as follows): “The national chairman and national secretary of the party shall jointly sign the notice of convention, congress, conference or meeting and submit the same to the commission. Be guided.”
