Gov Mutfwang Rejects PDP Expulsions Amid Court Conflict

PDP expulsions at the Ibadan convention and a court order against the event deepen factional rifts. Mutfwang urges dialogue not punishment. Analysis and context.

Atlantic Post

November 16, 2025

2–3 minutes

Caleb Mutfwang, Court Order, National Convention, Nigerian Politics, Nyesom Wike, Party Reconciliation, PDP Crisis, Umar Damagum

Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has publicly distanced himself from the decision by delegates at the Peoples Democratic Party factional national convention in Ibadan to expel Nyesom Wike, Ayo Fayose, Samuel Anyanwu and others. The decision to expel them has exposed fault lines that will not be healed by punishment alone.

Governor Mutfwang argued that the move was neither consulted by the Governors’ Forum nor the party NEC. His statement underlines the depth of dissent inside the party at a moment when cohesion is most needed.

At the convention, an overwhelming voice vote carried a motion. It was moved by former deputy national chairman Bode George. The motion was seconded by the Bauchi State chairman Samaila Buga. This was done to expel 11 members for alleged anti-party activities.

Many observers view the tally of expulsions and the theatrical manner of their announcement as an effort to strengthen a faction. This move is not seen as a way to restore institutional discipline.

The expulsions took place against a fraught legal and constitutional backdrop. A Federal High Court in Abuja issued a final order on 14 November 2025. It restrained the PDP from proceeding with its national convention. Former governor Sule Lamido needed to be given the opportunity to buy a nomination form for the national chairmanship.

Yet elements of the party led by Acting Chairman Umar Damagum indicated they would proceed. This prompted accusations that the NWC had chosen short term advantage over legal and moral legitimacy. The court order and the decision to press on have hardened positions inside the party.

The Board of Trustees had earlier set up a reconciliation panel and urged caution. That panel warned that moving ahead under contested conditions risked fracturing the PDP irreparably.

Reports suggest the Damagum led NWC ignored parts of the BoT committee report and consequently fuelled the present rupture. The coming weeks pose a crucial question. Can the party’s senior organs carry out the heavy lifting of reconciliation?

A sober reading of recent history should temper triumphalism. The PDP’s last major implosion ended the party’s uninterrupted rule that began in 1999. It culminated in large scale defections and the loss of the presidency in 2015.

Internal splits, factionalism and punitive expulsion have a documented record of weakening parties and alienating electorates. If the PDP repeats patterns of exclusion, it risks making a strategic mistake. This mistake is allowing factional contests to overshadow national renewal.

What now looks essential is a structured return to due process. Expulsion should be the last resort after transparent disciplinary procedures and an avenue for appeal.

Governors like Mutfwang and others have publicly dissented. They will yet become the bridge the party needs. This will happen if they pursue a programme of mediated dialogue rather than retribution.

For the PDP to recover credibility, it must show respect for courts. It needs to heed its own reconciliation committees. It should embrace inclusive politics that rebuilds trust across regions and generations.

Additional reporting by Osaigbovo Okungbowa, Senior Political Correspondent.