By CHARLES CHIJIOKE
Fresh political realignments may be unfolding in Rivers State following reports that Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has allegedly directed his loyalists within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 political cycle.
According to a report by Sahara Reporters, sources close to the development disclosed that the directive was issued on Friday night shortly after the Supreme Court’s final judgment on the lingering PDP leadership crisis.
The report claimed that by Saturday, several loyal PDP candidates in Rivers State had already commenced the process of obtaining APC nomination forms, signaling what could become one of the biggest political shifts in the oil-rich state in recent years.
“Wike has moved on following the Supreme Court’s final judgment. On Friday night, he directed his PDP candidates in Rivers State to defect to the APC, and by yesterday (Saturday) they had begun picking up APC nomination forms,” a source reportedly disclosed.
The alleged move is coming amid mounting tension within the PDP over the interpretation of the Supreme Court ruling on the party’s leadership tussle — a crisis that has sharply divided camps loyal to Wike and other influential party figures, including Seyi Makinde.
A Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment reportedly obtained by THISDAY indicated that the faction aligned with Wike suffered a setback after the apex court dismissed both the cross-appeal linked to Wike’s camp and the main appeal filed by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction.
However, the PDP faction loyal to Senator Samuel Anyanwu rejected the circulating court document, insisting it was unofficial and improperly certified.
In a statement issued by factional National Publicity Secretary Mohammed Haruna Jagunda, the group argued that the purported CTC lacked the required certification, stamps and signatures expected in authentic Supreme Court documents.
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has become aware of the circulation of a purported Certified True Copy (CTC) of the recent Supreme Court judgment relating to matters concerning the party,” the statement read.
The statement further maintained that even if the document were eventually confirmed authentic, its contents still reinforced the legal defeat of the Tanimu Turaki faction from the Federal High Court up to the Supreme Court.
The latest development is expected to deepen uncertainty within the opposition party ahead of the 2027 elections, especially in Rivers State where Wike remains a dominant political force despite serving in the APC-led federal government while retaining influence within the PDP structure.
Political observers say a large-scale movement of Wike loyalists into the APC could significantly reshape power calculations in Rivers State, weaken the PDP’s electoral machinery in the South-South and strengthen the APC’s chances in a region traditionally considered an opposition stronghold.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Wike nor the APC had officially confirmed the alleged directive to defect.
