2027 Uncertain: PDP May Not Field Presidential Candidate, Wike’s Aide Warns Amid Party Leadership Crisis

Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has hinted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) might not present a presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections.

Olayinka made the assertion in a post on his official X handle, citing the lingering leadership tussle over the position of the party’s National Secretary as a major destabilizing factor.

The crisis stems from a dispute between Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye, both laying claim to the office of National Secretary. Anyanwu initially vacated the position to contest the 2023 governorship election in Imo State, after which the PDP’s Southeast caucus endorsed Ude-Okoye as his replacement. However, following his electoral defeat, Anyanwu returned to reclaim his seat—sparking a legal battle.

While a High Court had ruled against Anyanwu, a Supreme Court judgment delivered in March has deepened the division rather than resolve it.

Weighing in on the controversy, Olayinka emphasized that the PDP’s constitution is clear on succession. “The party constitution and the Supreme Court judgment should be clear enough as to who the National Secretary is,” he wrote. “The Deputy National Secretary can only act as Secretary in the event of resignation or death of the National Secretary. In this case, Senator Samuel Anyanwu has not resigned. He is not dead too.”

Olayinka also criticized the endorsement of Ude-Okoye, describing it as a move that contradicts the party’s legal framework. “The only reason you will need party workers to endorse someone as National Secretary of the PDP is because you know that you are doing the wrong thing,” he said.

He warned that the ongoing leadership crisis could derail the party’s preparations for upcoming elections, stating: “Like I said four months ago, PDP may not field any candidate now, 2026 and 2027.”

The warning from Olayinka, a close associate of Minister Wike—who himself remains a controversial figure within the PDP—underscores the growing instability within the party as it struggles to regroup after its 2023 electoral losses.