PDP Issues Expulsion Certificates to Wike, Fayose, Others After Convention Ratification

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has formally issued expulsion certificates to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, and other members earlier removed at the party’s national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State. The certificates were released on Tuesday in Abuja during a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC).

According to a statement posted on the party’s X handle, the exercise coincided with the handover of national leadership from the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, to Senator Kabiru Turaki. The convention had, on November 16, ratified the expulsion of the affected individuals over alleged anti-party activities, a decision Turaki said was taken to preserve party discipline and integrity.

Speaking after the meeting, Turaki noted that issuing the certificates was necessary to provide clarity under Nigerian law, which prohibits dual membership of political parties. He explained that the expelled members could now present these certificates while attempting to register with other political parties to avoid accusations of breaching electoral regulations.

PDP Leadership Says Move Ensures Transparency and Legal Compliance

Turaki emphasized that the PDP NWC had reviewed all matters concerning those expelled and resolved to formalize the process through documentation. The certificates, he said, had already been dispatched via courier to the individuals, including Wike, Fayose, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, Kamarudeen Ajibade (SAN), Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, and others.

According to him, the step was not only administrative but also meant to inform relevant national institutions of the individuals’ new status. He stated that bodies such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) needed to be aware that these figures “are no longer members of our party.”

Turaki also disclosed that the PDP would soon publish public disclaimers to prevent confusion. He cautioned that any engagement with the expelled members on behalf of the PDP “is done at one’s own risk,” stressing that the party had moved to rid itself of internal elements he described as obstructive to its progress.

Expulsion Sparks Controversy Amid Factional Dispute

Despite the PDP’s formal position, the expulsion continues to generate controversy, particularly because it was carried out in defiance of existing court orders that restrained the party from holding the Ibadan convention pending the resolution of legal disputes over state congresses. The legality of the NWC’s action remains contested within party ranks.

The faction loyal to Wike, operating under figures such as embattled National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu and factional Chairman Mohammed Abdulrahman, has rejected the Ibadan convention as illegitimate. The group conducted its own parallel NEC meeting in Abuja on November 18 and, in retaliation, announced the expulsion of several leaders, including Governors Seyi Makinde, Bala Mohammed, Dauda Lawal, former BoT Chairman Adolphus Wabara, and Turaki himself.

These parallel actions have deepened internal rifts, placing the PDP in a complex leadership crisis ahead of its preparations for the 2027 general election. Nonetheless, Turaki reaffirmed that the mainstream PDP remains focused on rebuilding its internal structures and presenting Nigerians with what he called “credible leadership.”