PDP crisis: Wike’s aide fires back at Makinde over ‘gutter’ remark

The feud over PDP zoning has taken another twist as a top aide of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike responded sharply to Governor Seyi Makinde’s recent “gutter” comment.

Makinde, speaking after the Southwest Zoning Consultative Summit in Lagos, had insisted he would not descend to the “gutter level” of the FCT Minister while commenting on the controversy surrounding the party’s South-South leadership.

In response, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Olayinka, challenged Makinde to speak directly to the Minister instead of airing veiled criticism on social media. Posting on X, he said: “The brave must never give his ears to the murmuring of the coward until he grows enough balls to be able to speak directly.”

The exchange highlights the growing tension within the PDP as members clash over zoning and succession, with some Southern Leaders summit outcomes already rejected by Wike loyalists.

Amid the internal wrangling, the Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri-led zoning committee is set to propose a formula for allocating the 19 National Working Committee positions between the North and South at the 102nd National Executive Committee meeting next Monday. NEC’s decisions on the committee’s recommendations are expected to be a key test of the party’s unity ahead of the 2027 elections.

Analysts say the back-and-forth reflects deeper divisions in the PDP, underscoring how personal rivalries and regional interests could shape the party’s fortunes in the next general election.