Political Shake-Up: Wike’s PDP Bloc Rejects Ortom, Throws Weight Behind Anyanwu, Mohammed

The governors maintained that the process would be legally contested and subjected to review ahead of the party’s national convention slated for March 29–30.

Despite the pushback, reports indicate that Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Abdulrahman Mohammed have emerged as consensus choices for the roles of National Secretary and National Chairman respectively, under the structure backed by Wike’s camp.

Top members of the Wike-aligned National Caretaker Committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said all geopolitical zones had reportedly agreed on consensus candidates for various positions in the party’s National Working Committee.

They explained that the arrangement was designed to ensure a smooth and orderly convention process.

According to one insider, the National Chairman position was allocated to the North-Central, while the South was assigned the National Secretary slot, with zonal stakeholders directed to agree on candidates internally.

The source also claimed he was endorsed as consensus candidate for National Organising Secretary from the North-West, noting that the zone resolved to retain its existing leadership structure.

“In the North-West, it was agreed that the status quo remains. Sokoto retains the National Organising Secretary position, Katsina takes the National Youth Leader, Kano becomes Deputy Treasurer, while Jigawa got the Zonal Vice Chairman. Everything was reached by consensus,” he said.

He further revealed that the South-East retained the National Secretary position in Imo State, where Senator Samuel Anyanwu emerged as the consensus choice, while other offices in the zone were also redistributed among stakeholders.

In the South-West, positions were reportedly shared among states, with Oyo taking Woman Leader, Osun handling Treasurer, Ekiti getting Deputy Secretary, and Lagos producing the Zonal Vice Chairman.

For the North-East, Taraba was allocated Deputy National Chairman (North), Bauchi the Publicity Secretary, Gombe the Deputy Woman Leader, Borno the Deputy Financial Secretary, and Adamawa the Zonal Vice Chairman.

In the South-South, Rivers reportedly got the National Vice Chairman position, Cross River the Financial Secretary, Delta the Deputy National Organising Secretary, Akwa Ibom the Deputy Youth Leader, and Edo the Zonal Vice Chairman.

A source from the North-Central caucus meeting disclosed that the zone agreed to present Acting National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, as its consensus candidate for the top office.

The source added that Wike reportedly appealed to former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom and former Kogi State Deputy Governor Philip Salawu to withdraw from the race in favour of Mohammed.

“The North-Central resolved that it should produce the National Chairman,” the source said.

He also noted that religious considerations influenced the decision, given that the National Secretary position was zoned to the South-East.

“They preferred a Muslim candidate for National Chairman, assuming the other key position would go to a Christian,” he added.

Reacting, the Wike-backed PDP Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, neither confirmed nor denied the arrangement but defended the use of consensus in selecting party leaders.

He said consensus remains the most effective way to choose party officials.

“In our view, consensus is the best method to produce candidates at both party and primary levels,” he said.

“When stakeholders agree, it reflects collective consent rather than imposition.”

He added that the process helps reduce time, cost, and internal conflict, insisting the party is justified in adopting it.