Wike tried best with Bala Mohammed, but things went South, had to proceed with convention – Sambo

The Director of News and Politics at Arise Television, Sumner Sambo, has offered a revealing glimpse into the turbulent internal workings of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of its recent national convention, spotlighting Nyesom Wike’s ascent as the party’s de facto national leader amid swirling legal battles and political maneuvering that continue to test the opposition giant’s cohesion.

In a candid interview aired on Arise Television on Monday, March 30, 2026, Sambo recounted his high-stakes conversations with PDP heavyweights during the convention buildup, including Wike himself, former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, ex-Senate President Bukola Saraki, and Ahmed Makarfi, the former governor and acting national chairman. “Very interesting question you’re asking, Ayo, because I had an interview with Nyesom Wike with Sule Lamido, with Bukola Saraki, former Senate President, and then with Ahmed Makarfi, former governor, former acting national chairman of the PDP,” Sambo began, before diving into their collective assessment.

He quoted them as acknowledging Wike’s dominance: “And I put these questions to all of them yesterday. And they said that due to the exigencies of the PDP and how Wike has been able to, within the circumstances, prevail over the circumstances that have happened to the party, I mean, you need to give him his flowers.”

This praise, Sambo noted, extended to Wike’s unchallenged emergence as national leader, at least for now, with his nominees sweeping into key National Working Committee (NWC) positions like chairman and secretary, even as the Supreme Court looms over the party’s fate.

Yet, Sambo did not shy away from the thorny controversies dogging the new NWC lineup, pointing to the retention of figures like National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade and Samuel Anyanwu despite court rulings affirming their suspensions from the previous committee.

“But then you see that there’s controversy as to why people like Ajibade, the national legal advisor, and that’s Kamaldeen Ajibade, and Samuel Anyanwu, will still be part of this NWC when the court had affirmed that they were duly, you know, suspended in the last national working committee,” he observed, urging judicial intervention.

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“So a whole lot of things. And this is where we expect the Supreme Court to be bold, to be audacious, to be very swift in helping us.”

Providing deeper context to Wike’s aggressive push, Sambo explained the Rivers State political powerhouse’s frustrations with the All Progressives Congress (APC), where his backed aspirants faced roadblocks, compelling him to solidify a PDP platform.

Wike had confided in Sambo about his last-ditch efforts to align with Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, confirming a Wednesday meeting that soured by Thursday.

“That’s why you see that he tried to meet with Bala Mohammed, and he confirmed talking with Bala Mohammed on Wednesday to me,” Sambo relayed.

“He said he tried his best, but unfortunately as of Thursday, things went south, and whatever has happened, he had to go ahead with the convention. So, well, he has eventually emerged as the national leader until maybe the Supreme Court sets that aside.”