After one year, PDP NEC finally meets

After more than a year of delays and multiple postponements, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) finally convened on Tuesday in Abuja. The meeting, held at the party’s presidential campaign office—Legacy House in Maitama—was relocated from the PDP national secretariat in Wuse Zone 5, which was sealed on Monday […]

After more than a year of delays and multiple postponements, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) finally convened on Tuesday in Abuja.

The meeting, held at the party’s presidential campaign office—Legacy House in Maitama—was relocated from the PDP national secretariat in Wuse Zone 5, which was sealed on Monday by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

The last NEC meeting was held on April 18, 2024. Since then, repeated efforts to reconvene the party’s highest decision-making body had been frustrated by internal divisions and leadership wrangling.

It reportedly took intense pressure from party leaders and PDP governors to ensure Tuesday’s meeting held, following a controversial statement by the embattled National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, announcing a postponement.

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Tuesday’s meeting was attended by several PDP governors, party officials, members of the Board of Trustees (BoT), former governors, and National Assembly leaders. These included Governors Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, Agbu Kefas of Taraba, Peter Mbah of Enugu, Ademola Adeleke of Osun, Douye Diri of Bayelsa, and Dauda Lawal of Zamfara.

Also in attendance were acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, Deputy National Chairman Taofeek Arapaja, Acting National Secretary Setonji Koshoedo, National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, BoT Chairman Adolphus Wabara, BoT Secretary Senator Ahmed Makarfi, and former governors Babangida Aliyu, Bukola Saraki, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Samuel Ortom and Ibrahim Shekarau.

Other key figures included Suleiman Kadade, Umar Bature, Josephine Anenih, Ben Obi, Jerry Gana, Bode George, Barrister Tanimu Turaki, Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, and the leader of the PDP Caucus in the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda.

Notable absentees from the meeting included the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who has been championing a new coalition of opposition parties to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027. Also absent were Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; the embattled National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido; and former Senate President, David Mark.

 

Unresolved issues deferred to June 30

Despite the long-awaited gathering, the NEC meeting ended without resolving some of the pressing challenges that have plagued the party for over a year.

Observers had expected the PDP to finally address the contentious issue of the national secretary position, deliberate on the zoning of national offices ahead of the 2027 general elections, and respond to the escalating internal rift sparked by Wike’s role as FCT Minister—including his directive to shut down the party’s headquarters.

The PDP has struggled with internal strife since the 2022 presidential primaries, which saw former Vice President Atiku Abubakar defeat Wike at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja. Wike subsequently refused to support Atiku’s candidacy, instead aligning himself with then-APC presidential candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Since losing the 2023 general elections, the PDP has been dogged by leadership disputes, factionalism, and defections. Many stakeholders had hoped this NEC meeting would mark a turning point. However, the party deferred key decisions to the next NEC meeting, now scheduled for 30 June.

A source who attended the meeting told Daily Trust: “Only two issues were formally on the agenda: the composition of the convention committee and the South-East’s report on the national secretary. As the communiqué stated, these matters will be fully deliberated at the next NEC. The date and zoning formula for the convention will also be discussed.”

Another party insider said most contentious matters had already been resolved by the PDP governors and key stakeholders in earlier caucus meetings before the NEC convened.

“The main NEC meeting is set for 30 June. This one was to demonstrate party unity and disprove assumptions of an imminent implosion.

“The issues of the national secretary, zoning, and convention date will be finalised. Anyone who refuses to abide by the party’s constitution will be shown the way out,” the source added.

 

Damagum accuses APC of one-party ambition

Acting PDP National Chairman, Umar Damagum, accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to turn Nigeria into a one-party state out of what he called fear of defeat in 2027.

Reading the NEC communiqué to journalists at Legacy House, Damagum said: “NEC stands in firm resistance to the sinister plot by the Tinubu-led APC to turn Nigeria into a one-party totalitarian state, as evidenced by desperate attempts to stifle and annihilate opposition parties through open siege, threats, and intimidation of opposition figures and democratic institutions.”

He argued that the alleged plan stemmed from the APC’s “mortal fear of inevitable defeat in 2027, owing to its dismal performance in government.”

The PDP also expressed concern about the country’s deteriorating political and economic conditions, urging President Tinubu to reverse what it called “anti-people policies” and take urgent steps to address worsening insecurity and a deepening economic recession.

“NEC condemns policy inconsistency, wholesale corruption, massive treasury looting, budget padding, and the diversion of public funds that characterise the Tinubu administration. These failures have led to infrastructural decay and a collapse of investor confidence,” the communiqué stated.

Reaffirming its commitment to democratic principles, the PDP stated: “Our party believes in democracy, the rule of law, and the supremacy of the people’s will, as expressed through free, fair, and unhindered democratic participation in a multi-party political system.”

Damagum also announced that NEC had ratified the composition of both the National Convention Planning Committee and the Zoning Committee.

The National Convention is scheduled to take place from Thursday, 28 August, to Saturday, 30 August, 2025.

The Zoning Committee includes Governor Douye Diri (Bayelsa) as chairman, Governor Dauda Lawal (Zamfara) as vice chairman, and Governor Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau) as secretary.

The National Convention Planning Committee comprises Governor Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa) as Chairman, Governor Ademola Adeleke (Osun) as Vice Chairman, and Governor Peter Mbah (Enugu) as Secretary.

Damagum added that the NEC had received the South-East Zonal Executive Committee’s resolution on the issue of the national secretary and would deliberate on it at the next NEC meeting on June 30.

Earlier, before the closed-door session, Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, told the NEC members that PDP governors and members had faced mounting threats and pressure from the APC-led federal government.

“This dispensation is different. We are encountering booby traps, innuendos, and political manoeuvrings. Today, there’s a wave of defections and talk of coalitions—even some of our own are being targeted,” he said.

“But our members remain strong and resolute. There is no form of intimidation or cajoling we have not endured. Yet we are committed to our mandate.”

The governor stressed that the PDP governors remained united and had consistently worked together to preserve the party’s relevance and visibility.

“You can see that we are here together. We wish those who have left well, but this isn’t the first time members have left and returned. We believe many will come back,” he said.

He also took a swipe at the APC, saying, “Other parties are fragmented, with factions and divided loyalties—even in the National Assembly and among governors. But we remain united. We’ve been holding strategy meetings across states—from Plateau to Taraba, Oyo to Delta—and issuing communiqués on key governance issues. We are not giving up.”

 

APC reacts

Reacting to the outcome of the NEC meeting, the All Progressives Congress (APC) dismissed allegations of intimidation and one-party tendencies, insisting the PDP is simply grappling with self-inflicted internal crisis.

The APC’s National Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, said in a telephone interview with Daily Trust that the ruling party is focused on governance and not distracted by the affairs of the opposition.

“The PDP needs to revisit its conscience and check from within whether it was formed to strengthen or weaken democracy,” Ibrahim said. “The APC is a progressive party that is busy giving out the dividends of democracy. We don’t have time to intimidate or muzzle opposition parties—it’s not in our character.”

He added that the disarray within the PDP is a product of its internal contradictions, not external interference. “The infighting among them is what is weakening them. That is what is intimidating them. It’s an internal issue. It has nothing to do with the APC.”

Meanwhile, a mild drama unfolded at the end of the Senate plenary on Tuesday, as Senate President Godswill Akpabio and other APC senators made light of the PDP’s NEC meeting.

Akpabio had earlier informed the chamber that the PDP’s NEC was scheduled to hold at the party’s Legacy House office in Maitama, Abuja. The communication, signed by Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South), appeared to amuse the Senate President, who burst into laughter after reading it aloud.

This came just a day after the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) sealed the PDP’s national headquarters, an action widely perceived to be politically motivated and linked to the internal party crisis in which FCT Minister Nyesom Wike is deeply enmeshed.

Wike, a former PDP governor, who has aligned with the APC since the 2023 elections, had reportedly withdrawn from all reconciliation efforts within the PDP and opposed the NEC meeting unless his ally, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, was recognised as the party’s substantive national secretary.

As the plenary wrapped up, Akpabio quipped, “We will adjourn today’s meeting to enable our colleagues to proceed to the NEC meeting to consider a lot of issues of national importance, including but not limited to the affirmation of the good leadership that is currently enveloping the entire nation.”

He added, “PDP, please use the right faction when you are taking decisions.”

When Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) moved a motion for adjournment, he added his own jab: “I would think that they will also endorse the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Whatever it is, I wish them good luck.”

Rising to second the motion, Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, stated, “While I rise to second the motion for the adjournment, I want to place it on record that the NEC meeting will not do any democratic aberration.” He then formally seconded the motion.

However, when Akpabio put the motion to a voice vote, APC senators loudly chorused “nay” in a mock rejection of the adjournment. Akpabio, still chuckling, overruled the nays and declared, “The ayes have it.” Plenary was therefore adjourned to allow PDP senators to attend the NEC meeting.

 

Collapse of PDP would imperil democracy, says Sule Lamido

Meanwhile, former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, yesterday warned that the disintegration of the PDP would pose a serious threat to Nigeria’s democratic future.

Speaking on Channels Television, Lamido said the PDP has played a foundational role in the country’s Fourth Republic since 1999 and remains critical to sustaining democracy.

“If the PDP collapses, Nigeria will collapse,” he said. “Where there is no opposition, then there will be an emperor. And emperors are always destroyed by their greed.”

Lamido credited the PDP with restoring civilian governance after years of military rule, arguing that the party’s legacy created the space for later leaders, including President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu, to emerge.

“If the PDP had not restored democracy in 1999, there would have been no Buhari in 2015 and no Tinubu in 2023,” he said.

He stressed that President Tinubu, more than anyone, needs the PDP to function as an effective opposition and democratic check.

“Tinubu needs the PDP to put him on his toes. If the party collapses, no one will be there to question him,” he said.

Despite the ongoing internal turmoil within the PDP, Lamido, 76, said he remains committed to the party and its ideals.

“I will not leave the PDP. The party is part of Nigeria’s history. If it dies, a major part of our democratic experience dies with it,” he said.

His comments come amid ongoing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, as discontent within major parties fuels speculation about defections and new coalitions.

On March 20, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and others announced a coalition aimed at challenging President Tinubu in the next election.

The emerging alliance is banking on the combined 12 million votes Atiku and Obi polled in 2023—over four million more than what Tinubu secured—to build momentum ahead of 2027.

Nonetheless, Lamido insisted that a robust opposition, particularly from the PDP, is indispensable to the country’s democratic health.

“A strong opposition is not a luxury—it is a necessity for Nigeria’s survival,” he said.

 

PDP has reawakened – Bode George

Also speaking, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, described the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting as a rebirth, saying it has learnt from its past and is ready to rebuild.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, the former Deputy National Chairman said the 99th NEC meeting was a turning point, adding that the 100th NEC in June would be a landmark.

“This party is an Iroko tree; it doesn’t just die. There has been a rebirth of freedom and procedural thought as laid down by our founding fathers. We are determined never again to self-manipulate our doctrines,” he said.

He expressed disappointment over the sealing of the PDP national secretariat by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

“I was shell-shocked. They locked up the secretariat on the day of our NEC meeting. And the painful part is that the FCT minister is a beneficiary of our party. He grew through our platform—from local government chairman to minister and governor,” he said.

He said the action was ‘cultural betrayal’. “If I were him, I would have paid the amount personally and returned the receipt to the party. That’s what a true son of the family would do,” he said.

Asked if the party would take responsibility, he said, “yes, we erred. But record-keeping has suffered because of the high turnover in political positions. Since 1999, there have been changes in leadership, making it hard to track liabilities”.

On the PDP’s crisis, George noted past mistakes but said the NEC meeting marked a new beginning based on selflessness and unity.

Quoting the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Adolphus Wabara, he said: “We must have more selfless leaders and fewer selfish ones.”

Reacting to claims that the PDP was a dying party, he said, “that’s their wish. No organisation in the world is crisis-proof. What matters is how you rise above it”.

He also dismissed suggestions that not zoning the presidential ticket to the South in 2023 was the party’s undoing. “The resurrection of the PDP started yesterday. The party is not for any individual. Atiku was not at the NEC meeting, but the meeting still held. This is a collective responsibility.”

Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, he stressed the need to guide younger members and stop the manipulation of the party’s principles. “We want to stop dancing on the graves of the founding fathers,” he said.

 

Additional reports by: Saawua Terzungwe & Al-Mustapha A. Mustapha