A coalition of civil society groups in the Northeast has called on the National Assembly to investigate the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for their alleged roles in the escalating leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The North East Good Governance Initiative Coalition made the demand on Friday during a press briefing in Bauchi on what it described as growing threats to Nigeria’s multi-party system ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Coordinator of the coalition, Sani Ahmed, said recent developments surrounding the PDP crisis point to “a deliberate, orchestrated and state-backed assault on opposition politics,” insisting that the National Assembly must investigate the circumstances leading to the shutdown of the PDP national secretariat in Abuja.
“We stand here today because silence is no longer an option. The soul of Nigeria’s democracy is under coordinated assault,” he said.
Mr Ahmed alleged that the invasion of the PDP secretariat by political thugs, alongside security operatives, constituted “a brazen, violent and unconstitutional siege” on the country’s multi-party framework. He claimed that those involved acted on the instructions of Mr Wike and enjoyed protection from the APC-led federal government.
“These thugs shut down the secretariat, locked out its lawful leadership, barred governors and lawmakers from entry, and stationed armed police at all access points,” he said.
He argued that the incident contravened sections 40 and 221–229 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantee freedom of association and protect the operation of political parties.
Mr Ahmed added that democracy is endangered “when the ruling party uses state coercive instruments to undermine opposition organisations,” warning that political plurality cannot survive if party leaders are denied access to their own structures.
He maintained that the decisions taken by the PDP National Working Committee at the party’s Ibadan convention remain binding unless overturned by a competent court. “No group has the authority to overturn them by force,” he said.
The coalition further alleged that the FCT Administration “has been converted into a political fortress” for partisan battles rather than development priorities. “The APC has turned Nyesom Wike into a tool of internal destruction,” Mr Ahmed charged.
