Nigeria’s two main opposition parties — the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party — are struggling to resolve internal disputes at a time when the crippling cost-of-living crisis should have strengthened their electoral appeal as an alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Both could be split into factions as internal supremacy battles tear them apart. 

The PDP’s one — between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike and Nigeria’s 1999-2007 vice president Atiku Abubakar — continues to deepen even as a third front appears to have opened in the internal battles tearing the party apart (Nigeria Politics & Security – 26.08.24). Wike warned PDP governors on 31 August that he would destabilise the party in their states if they made good their threat to remove the party’s Rivers State political structure from him and give it to Governor Siminalayi Fubara. 

He specifically mentioned Bauchi State’s Governor Bala Mohammed who appears to be spearheading the efforts to reduce Wike’s powers in the PDP. There is also speculation that he may want to stand as 200-2015 president Goodluck Jonathan’s running mate in 2027 if the latter can be persuaded to stand against President Bola Tinubu. Wike’s threat, which was made in Rivers State, appears to confirm the suspicion that he has remained in the PDP in order to destabilise it. He has insinuated that he had the financial clout to match the governors who want to intervene in Rivers State’s politics. 

Wike’s threat sets the stage for the PDP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting which is scheduled for 26 September. The party will almost certainly emerge from that congress in factions or be further weakened by its inability to deal with Wike’s threat. As long as the latter remains in the party, there is probably no chance that it can remain united. Expelling Wike from the party, however, will result in the PDP breaking into factions and the defection of some of its elected politicians including governors. The longer it waits to deal with Wike, the weaker the PDP will become and it will not be able to act as an effective opposition against the APC government in which Wike now serves as a minister.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party — which had appeared to have become an alternative to the PDP — is also struggling with its leadership crisis. Its chairman Julius Abure is scheming to remain in his post after the controversial 27 March party congress which was organised to reach a predetermined outcome to enable him to do so. 

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), which claims to own the Labour Party, has refused to recognise the outcome and so too has the INEC. Abure was not invited to the 29 August INEC-convened emergency meeting of party leaders to discuss issues relating to Edo State’s forthcoming Edo State gubernatorial election, which indicates that the commission does not recognise him as being duly elected. This also means that the Labour Party was not represented at the meeting. Despite this, Abure insists that he will not leave the post or call for another congress to elect new executives for the now divided party. 

Labour’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and its sole governor, Abia State’s Alex Otti, have called for a stakeholder meeting on 4 September to try and resolve the divisions. The Abure-led executive committee is insisting, however, that Obi and Otti have no right to call for such a meeting and he does not plan to attend. It could therefore leave Labour even more divided with a leadership that is not recognised by most stakeholders or by the INEC.