Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), publicly stated on Wednesday that he was not invited to the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). This claim came during an interview on Channels Television’s programme, Politics Today, where Wike expressed his lack of awareness regarding the party’s upcoming national convention scheduled for November 15 and 16.

The PDP’s NEC, which is the party’s highest decision-making body, had previously approved Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, as the venue for the convention aimed at electing a new national working committee (NWC) during their meeting on July 24. The NEC is composed of influential party members, including state governors, current and former presidents, historical leaders, and local state chairpersons.

During the interview, Wike was questioned about his attendance at the convention or the possibility of organizing a parallel event. He reiterated that he had not been informed about the planned convention in Ibadan and that he had not received an invitation to the NEC meeting where this decision was made. “I am not aware that they are going to a convention in Ibadan. As an NEC member, I have not been informed, nor have I been invited to the NEC meeting,” he stated. Wike emphasized his right to challenge the validity of the meeting and its decisions, citing a lack of proper notice.

However, an invitation letter reveals that Wike was, in fact, invited to the NEC meeting. Dated July 10, 2025, and signed by Samuel Anyanwu, the PDP national secretary, the letter was addressed to Wike and included details of the meeting’s date, time, and venue. Wike’s office received the letter on July 18 and acknowledged it with a signature and stamp.

This latest development follows Wike’s earlier statements regarding the ongoing internal strife within the PDP, asserting it would persist until the party acknowledged the results of the South-South zonal congress held in Calabar, Cross River State. In the February 22 congress, Dan Orbih, an ally of Wike, was re-elected as the chairman of the zone. However, the PDP NWC later disowned Orbih’s election, fueling further tensions within the party.