Political Tension Rises as Wike-Led PDP Faction Appoints Caretaker Committee for Plateau

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has announced the appointment of a new caretaker committee for the Plateau State chapter. This is barely a week after Governor Caleb Mutfwang officially defected from the PDP to the APC, leaving a leadership vacuum and a deeply divided party base in the state. The factional leadership stated that this intervention is necessary to "save the party from total collapse" and reorganize its structures following the Governor’s exit.

The newly appointed committee is tasked with overseeing the affairs of the party in Plateau for an initial period of six months, during which they are expected to conduct fresh congresses. This decision, however, directly challenges the authority of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), which had previously expressed support for a different leadership lineup. The Wike faction insists that the current state executives were compromised by the circumstances leading to Mutfwang’s defection and can no longer be trusted to lead the opposition’s comeback strategy in the state.

By installing a loyalist committee in Plateau, the faction aims to ensure that the party’s machinery in the state remains under its control, even as the PDP battles for relevance against a now-strengthened APC.

As of Friday morning, the embattled Plateau State PDP officials loyal to the national body have rejected the appointment, labeling it "illegal and provocative." They argue that only the NWC has the constitutional power to dissolve state structures or appoint caretaker committees. With two competing leadership groups now claiming authority, the Plateau PDP faces a period of intense instability that could further alienate its remaining members and weaken its position as a viable opposition force.

Do you think factional caretaker committees will help rebuild the PDP, or will they only lead to the party’s final disintegration? Share your comments below!

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