By Abiola Olawale
As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gears up for its 2027 National Convention, internal tensions are escalating over the party’s national chairmanship position, with former governors Ibrahim Shekarau and Samuel Ortom emerging as frontrunners.
The New Diplomat’s checks show that the contest has sparked a serious rift between PDP governors and loyalists of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, threatening to further polarize the party’s unity ahead of the 2027 elections.
An insider source privy to the matter confided in The New Diplomat that PDP governors, led by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State and Wike’s camp, are seriously at loggerheads over who emerges as the National chairman and National secretary at the November 16, 2025, National Convention of the party.
The source further revealed that the PDP governors are rallying behind former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau from the North-west.
The source added that the PDP governors believe that Shekarau’s experience and stature as a former Minister, and governor will make him an ideal party chairman that can unite all elements in the party and command respect among its members.
However, Wike’s camp is said to be pushing for former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom to take the helm.
The insider source further revealed: “Following the failure of the Governor Douye Diri-led zoning committee of the party, which zoned the position of the national chairman to the North, to micro-zone it to any geopolitical zone, the governors are rooting for former governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, from the North-west.
“However, Wike’s loyalists have maintained their support for the former governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, from the North-central.
“This is the reason Wike’s camp is insisting that the national chairman should be retained by the North-central, and rejected the micro-zoning of the office to Shekarau’s North-west.”
Furthermore, it was gathered that the PDP governors and Wike’s camp are also at loggerheads over the office of the national secretary of the party.
Recall that Wike’s camp had demanded the reinstatement of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary.
The group had warned that failure to comply would render the convention “invalid”.
However, PDP governors have condemned the position of Wike and his group. Speaking at the inauguration of the National Convention Committee, Mohammed said: ‘’We believe we have done it before, and we believe we will do it very well. The Governors are with you, members of this party, and, of course, members of this important committee.
‘’We are with the NWC. We appreciate the sacrifice they are making. And, of course, we are men who have brought consensus. We are on the way forward. We certainly can’t wait. The time has come when we must flex our muscles.
‘’We are not cowards, and we are not afraid of anybody. We are capable of navigating this party beyond the shenanigans, beyond the arrogance, and beyond the impunity of others. We cannot continue to take part and allow people to take us to the slaughterhouse. That’s our job. And our job is to make sure we don’t go to the slaughterhouse.
“And we are working as Governors and working with the committee to ensure that the keyword is discipline. We will no longer allow or tolerate anybody to take us for granted.”
The New Diplomat reports that the PDP’s internal strife has been simmering since its 2023 electoral loss at the presudential level, exacerbated by the fallout from the 2022 presidential primaries and the emergence of the G5 governors, led by Wike.
The group, which included Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), and Ortom, had demanded the resignation of then-National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu to address what it called regional imbalances.
While Ayu was eventually replaced, tensions persist, with Wike’s camp now at odds with the PDP Governors’ Forum over the upcoming national convention in Ibadan, set for November 15-16, 2025.
