This comes despite Wike’s open endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for re-election, as well as his recent comments suggesting the party may struggle to fund a nationwide presidential campaign.

However, speaking in an interview, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, dismissed claims that the party would not field a candidate, insisting that preparations are ongoing.

He said the party’s National Executive Committee meeting scheduled for Monday will address key issues such as zoning arrangements and nomination fees.

According to him, “We are going to have a presidential candidate. The NEC will decide the zoning formula. Our goal is to win the election and take power from the APC.”

Responding to questions about Wike’s support for President Tinubu, he argued that the minister was speaking in his personal capacity and not on behalf of the PDP.

He stressed that there is a clear separation between Wike’s role as a federal appointee and his status within the party, adding that the PDP’s decisions rest with its leadership structures.

The decision followed legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), which concluded that the officers acted in self-defence during a mob attack.

In the advice signed by DPP Babajide Martins, the office stated that investigators failed to provide sufficient evidence, including autopsy and ballistic reports, to support criminal charges such as manslaughter.

It further stated that available facts did not clearly link the suspects to the deaths, while noting that the officers were acting to protect themselves during the chaos. The DPP also said the developer was not physically present at the scene when the incident occurred.

The incident reportedly happened during the enforcement of a disputed court order over a land area occupied by traders, which later turned violent and led to the deaths.

However, the Nigeria Police Force disagreed with the legal advice, insisting that autopsy and ballistic findings were strong enough to prosecute the suspects.

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, who represents the victims’ families, said the case is not over, adding that additional evidence would be submitted to the DPP while also pursuing compensation through a civil suit.