Politics
PDP Dismisses Cabal Allegations Within Party …Says Wike, Secondus Mean Well For Party
The national leadership of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed insinuations that some members of the party belong to a cabal that decides what goes on there, describing it as unfounded.
This is as the main opposition party in the country described the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and the party’s National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus as seasoned administrators who mean well for the party and would not be part of any cabal.
PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Elder Yemi Akinwunmi who stated this when he appeared as guest on a live national television programme monitored in Port Harcourt, last Wednesday said the party does things democratically.
Akinwunmi was reacting to allegations in some quarters that Wike and Secondus were part of a cabal in the party who decides what happens in the fold.
However, the Deputy National Chairman said if the duo were the cabal how come he was the one that presided over a recent inauguration of a committee set up to investigate the circumstances that led to the emergence of Ndidu Elumelu as Minority leader of the House of Representatives.
“If there is any such allegation it is unfounded. If our leader Prince Uche Secondus and Governor Nyesom Wike are the cabals, how come I am the one that presided and inaugurated the committee?
“So the question of cabal does not exist in the PDP. It does exist in other parties not PDP. We do things democratically. We believe in ourselves. We are colleagues and we have senior colleagues and we have other colleagues.
“We respect ourselves and we do things jointly as members of the same family. There is no question of cabal in PDP. And I want to re-emphasize it here that our internal affairs is not a subject that we will come and wash our dirty linens in public.
“We do not believe in that. It is not like the All Progressives Congress (APC) where a state chapter will come and demonstrate against the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole. Let me also make this clear that members of the PDP today are people of proven integrity. People that have risen along the ladder to become where they are today. It is not just ‘aluta or solidarity forever (obviously making a veiled reference to Oshiomhole). No, it is not that!
“For example, let me give you the resume of my leader, Prince Uche Secondus. He was the chairman of the PDP in Rivers State for two terms. After which he became the organizing secretary of the party at the national level.
“Thereafter he became the deputy national chairman of the party and later the acting national chairman of the party. Later he became the party’s National Chairman, a position he still occupies today. He rose through the ranks.
“This is unlike someone who was a labour leader, who recently left as Governor and then be made the National Chairman of a big party. So what is his pedigree in party administration? He has no pedigree! Even myself talking to you, I was the Secretary of the PDP in Ogun State for nine years before I became the deputy national chairman,” Akinwumi stated.
Dennis Naku
The Senate yesterday received the 2026-2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper from President Bola Tinubu, marking the formal launch of the 2026 federal budget cycle.
In a letter addressed to the upper chamber, Tinubu said the submission complies with statutory requirements and sets out the fiscal parameters that will guide the preparation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
He explained that the MTEF/FSP outlines the macroeconomic assumptions, revenue projections, and spending priorities that will shape Nigeria’s fiscal direction over the next three years.
The letter was read during plenary by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), who urged lawmakers to expedite consideration of the document.
“It is with pleasure that I forward the 2026 to 2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper for the kind consideration and approval of the Senate.
“The 2026 to 2028 MTEF and FSP were approved during the Federal Executive Council meeting of December 3, 2025, and the 2026 budget of the Federal Government will be prepared based on the parameters and fiscal assumptions therein,” the President stated.
Last week, the Federal Executive Council approved the fiscal projections, pegging the oil benchmark price at $64.85 per barrel and adopting a budget exchange rate of ?1,512/$1 for 2026—figures expected to significantly shape revenue forecasts and expenditure planning.
After reading the President’s letter, Jibrin referred the document to the Senate Committee on Finance, chaired by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), with a directive to submit its report by Wednesday, December 17.
The Senate adjourned shortly after to allow committees to commence scrutiny of the fiscal framework and continue the ongoing screening of ambassadorial nominees.
Tinubu’s communication to the Senate came less than 24 hours after he transmitted the same MTEF/FSP documents to the leadership of the House of Representatives.
The letter was read on the House floor by the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who also urged timely legislative action as required by law.
The MTEF and FSP are statutory instruments mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act and serve as the blueprint for Nigeria’s annual budgets.
They outline the government’s fiscal stance, macroeconomic assumptions, revenue frameworks, projected deficits, and sectoral priorities over a three-year period.
The Tide reports that approval by the National Assembly is a prerequisite for the executive to present the Appropriation Bill for the next fiscal year.
In a statement on Saturday, the former Senate Leader stated that the allocation of nominees across states and geopolitical zones falls short of the constitutional requirement for fair representation in the composition of the Federal Government.
The ex-Senate Whip warned that allowing the list to pass could deepen ethnic suspicion at a time when the administration should be consolidating national unity.
He highlighted disparities in the spread of nominees, noting that while some states have three or four slots, others have none. He also cited the inclusion of Senator Adamu Garba Talba from Yobe, who reportedly died in July.
“The entire North-East states have seven nominees in the list. Further checks revealed that the South-West geo-political zone has 15 nominees, while North-West and South-East have 13 and 9, respectively.
“North-Central region has 10 nominees in the list of career and non-career ambassadorial nominee while South-South parades 12 nominees,” Senator Ndume said.
According to him, such imbalances could heighten tensions and undermine Section 14(3) of the Constitution.
“My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list. At this critical juncture in his administration, he should avoid missteps that could undermine national unity and foster ethnic distrust.
“I know him to be a cosmopolitan leader who is at home with every segment and stakeholder in the country. He should withdraw that list and present a fresh set of nominees that will align with the spirit of the Constitution on the Federal Character Principle,” Senator Ndume added.
He accused the legislators of undermining the sanctity of the legislature and acting as instruments of destabilization.
“The members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have, by their actions since they assumed office, shown that they are political puppets and a clog in the wheels of democratic progress,” Comrade Ememobong stated, adding that “They will go down in history as enemies of democracy and those who made mockery of the legislature.”
“So the easiest way to describe their action is a defection from APC to APC,” he said.
Comrade Ememobong announced that the party would deploy constitutional provisions to reclaim its mandate from those who have “ignobly and surreptitiously” abandoned the platform on which they were elected.
“Consequently, the PDP will take legal steps to activate the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended) to recover the mandate gained under the banner of our party which these people have now switched to another platform,” he said.
He urged party members in Rivers State to remain calm and steadfast.
“We urge all party members in Rivers State to remain faithful and resolute, as efforts are underway to rebuild the party along the path of inclusiveness, fairness and equity,” Comrade Ememobong assured.
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