A prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party and former spokesperson of the PDP presidential campaign council, Umar Sani, has thrown his support behind the party’s decision to expel Nyesom Wike and several other key figures, describing the move as “better late than never.”
Sani also affirmed that the party’s recently concluded national elective convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, adhered to all legal requirements.
Speaking on Arise News’ Morning Show on Monday, Sani dismissed claims that the party took too long to sanction Wike and the others.
He explained that the PDP initially pursued internal reconciliation through the Ambassador Hassan Adamu Committee, which attempted to mediate between the opposing factions.
According to him, “We wanted to resolve this as a family, but it became clear there was no way to do so. Wike himself described it as a dispute among family members. One of his conditions was that we agree not to field a presidential candidate in 2027. We cannot wait for a fight to finish; we have to end the fight.”
He insisted that the timing of the disciplinary measures was appropriate, noting, “The actions we took are better late than never.”
Sani also addressed the confusion surrounding the supposed attendance of INEC officials at the convention. He recounted how the master of ceremonies initially announced that some individuals were from INEC, but Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, quickly clarified that they were national election observers, not representatives of the electoral commission.
He said, “Immediately, I tweeted that the INEC officials are here. Moments later, Bala corrected it, saying these are national election observers. I quickly issued a statement to put out the correct information so I would not be accused of complicity.”
Sani stressed that whether or not INEC is present at a convention does not determine its legality, pointing out that the Electoral Act only empowers INEC to observe such events but does not make their attendance compulsory.
He referenced the Labour Party’s past convention, which was held without INEC officials present, yet was later recognised on the basis of a court ruling. He added that the latest court order by Justice A. L. Akintola of the Oyo State High Court gave the PDP the legal backing required to proceed.
He said the party complied fully with statutory obligations, including issuing the mandatory 21-day notice for the convention. “The statutory requirements for the convention, which were to give 21-day notice, were met. We held our convention in compliance with statutory court orders,” he added.
As previously reported by PUNCH Online, the PDP elected former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Kabiru Turaki, as National Chairman, and former Oyo State Deputy Governor, Taofeek Arapaja, as National Secretary during its 2025 National Convention in Ibadan.
The convention also saw the expulsion of several prominent members, including FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, suspended National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, former National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade, ex-Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose, and Imo PDP Chairman Austin Nwachukwu, over allegations of anti-party activities.
The motion to expel them was proposed by former PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Bode George, and seconded by Bauchi State PDP Chairman, Samaila Buga.
Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, who leads the PDP Governors’ Forum, subsequently put the matter to a voice vote, with delegates voting overwhelmingly to uphold the expulsions signalling the party’s renewed commitment to tackling internal conflict and curbing anti-party behaviour.