PDP Purges Rivers Leadership as Caretaker Chairman Ousted for Wike Alliance

The internal war within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has claimed another high-profile casualty in Rivers State, with the suspension of the Caretaker Committee (CTC) Chairman, Hon. Nname Ewor. The decision, finalized during an emergency meeting on Saturday, January 3, 2026, marks a decisive move by the party’s national leadership to sever ties with any elements still aligned with the recently expelled Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The committee moved swiftly to fill the leadership vacuum, appointing the CTC Secretary, Ogbam Ojimah, as the new Acting Chairman. Ojimah wasted no time in clarifying the party’s stance, asserting that Ewor’s public alignment with Wike was a betrayal that amounted to a “voluntary resignation.” He emphasized that the PDP in Rivers State remains firmly loyal to the national leadership under Dr. Kabiru Turaki, who took the reins following the controversial Ibadan National Convention in November 2025.

The friction reached a breaking point after Ewor reportedly appeared at a “thank you” visit organized by Wike, where he publicly declared that the “long-standing factionalization” of the Rivers PDP was over because the entire structure had moved into the Minister’s camp. Ewor’s open challenge to Governor Siminalayi Fubara—whom he accused of failing to uphold presidential peace deals—served as the final straw for the Turaki-led faction. By suspending Ewor, the party is attempting to invalidate his claim that the PDP “belongs to Wike.”

In his first official briefing as Acting Chairman, Ojimah reminded the public that Wike no longer holds a valid membership card in the PDP. “It is important to remind the public that Hon. Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike has been expelled from the party and has no right to interfere in PDP affairs,” Ojimah stated. He warned that any official dealings conducted with Ewor in his former capacity would not be recognized by the national secretariat.

The suspension further complicates the political landscape of Rivers State, which has been under a State of Emergency for much of 2025 due to the bitter rivalry between Wike and Governor Fubara. With Fubara recently defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in December 2025, the PDP is desperate to rebuild a cohesive opposition structure. The appointment of Dr. Baribefu Fidunko as Acting Secretary alongside Ojimah is seen as a tactical move to stabilize the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

As the “year of liberation” begins in Rivers politics, the PDP’s aggressive purge of Wike loyalists signals a high-stakes gamble to reclaim the state’s political soul. For Ewor, the suspension marks a dramatic fall from his appointment just a year ago, proving once again that in the current climate of Rivers politics, loyalty to a “Big Man” can be a double-edged sword. The party now faces the uphill task of convincing a fractured electorate that its new leadership can offer a credible alternative to the Fubara-Wike duopoly.