A presidential hopeful on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Gbenga Hashim, has cautioned loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, against proceeding with a proposed factional convention, warning that it could derail ongoing reconciliation efforts within the party.
Hashim described the planned convention as a "serious threat" to the unity and survival of the PDP, noting that key stakeholders had earlier agreed to pursue a unity convention before the recent Court of Appeal judgment.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, the PDP chieftain who has consistently advocated reconciliation, alleged that the peace process was being undermined by the actions of a "fifth columnist" working in pursuit of external interests.
"I urge the Wike faction not to renege on the gentleman's agreement already reached. This is about the survival and integrity of the PDP," he said.
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Hashim also warned against alleged moves to tamper with state executive committees, particularly in Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Kano states, stressing that such actions would violate the party's constitution.
He maintained that the tenures of state executives are fixed and cannot be arbitrarily altered, cautioning against "exporting the national leadership crisis into otherwise stable state structures."
He identified the recognised state chairmen in the affected states as Raymond Dabo (Plateau), Adamu Ninga (Nasarawa), Edward Percy Masha (Kaduna) and Yusuf Ado Kibiya (Kano), insisting that their mandates must be respected.
According to him, imposing parallel structures in states without internal disputes could further deepen the crisis and weaken the party's cohesion ahead of future elections.
Hashim warned that key actors in the dispute risk emerging as political losers if they fail to resolve their differences and adhere to an agreed framework for power-sharing and the harmonisation of the National Working Committees of the rival factions.
