As PDP Holds Make or Mar NEC Meeting this Month…

In this report, Chuks Okocha looks at the critical issues begging for attention as Nigeria’s main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party holds its National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja on May 27.

With the confirmation last week by the acting national chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Ilya Damagum that the party will hold its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on May 27, there are many issues begging for the attention of the party’s NEC.

The last NEC meeting of the PDP took place on April 18, 2024 at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja. Since then, several attempts had been made for the party to hold NEC meeting without success.

But the PDP Governors at their meeting in April in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital did  reveal that the NEC meeting will eventually take place.

Damagum had said last week that the PDP’s NEC will indeed hold to, among other things, ratify some of the recommendation of the party’s governors.

One of the issues to be ratified by the NEC is the issue of the PDP merging or going into alliance with other political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The PDP governors had taken a position that the main opposition party should not be part of any alliance with any political party or parties.

Reading the communique of their meeting in Ibadan, the chairman of the PDP Governors forum, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, said, ‘’noting the nationwide speculations about possible merger of political parties, groups and/or associations, the Forum resolved that the PDP will not join any coalition or merger.

‘’However, the PDP as a major opposition party welcomes any party, persons or groups that are willing to join it with a view to wrestling power and enthroning good leadership in 2027’’.

But the arrow head of the PDP being part of the alliance coalition, former Vice President Atiku Abubukar will not agree with the governors’ stand on this issue.

Atiku insisted that the coalition is a train that has left the station adding that the coalition is like the G34 group founded by late Second Republic Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme and others, on a mission to save Nigeria.

This issue of coalition is one of the prime issues that the NEC meeting will decide.

The implications of this would be severe on the party as Atiku and his co-travellers in this coalition or alliance train may likely defect to another party of their choice to actualise their dreams.

Another issue to be looked into at the May 27 NEC meeting is to determine who the authentic National Secretary of the party is.

Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Hon. Sunday Ude-Okoye are contending for the National Secretaryship of the party. The Supreme Court has ruled on this and both Anyanwu and Ude Okoye are laying claims to the position.

At the last PDP governors meeting in Ibadan, the governors asked the deputy national secretary, to act depending when the Southeast will present the authentic national secretary.

They reiterated the position taken in Asaba on the issue of the National Secretary of the party, but in the wake of the Supreme Court judgment, PDP Governors’ Forum resolved to recommend that the Deputy National Secretary acts as National Secretary, pending the nomination and ratification of a Substantive Secretary from the South East Zone and NEC respectively at its next meeting.

Last week, when the National Working Committee  met, the matter was not resolved. Again, the NEC is expected to wade into this matter. How the matter will be resolved is better imagined. It is believed truly or falsely, that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike is backing Anyanwu. But Anyanwu has insisted that what is happening between himself and the governors of the party is an ego trip.

Meanwhile , following the resolutions of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, Setonji Koshoedo, last week assumed office as Acting National Secretary of the Party. Koshoedo, before his appointment as Acting National Secretary, was the Deputy National Secretary of the PDP.

Upon his resumption last Wednesday morning, Koshoedo met with the management staff of the PDP in his office at the party’s National Secretariat, Abuja, during which he assured them of the NWC’s commitment to further unite, stabilize and energize the party going forward.

How this matter is resolved will either polarise or unite the PDP the more, but political observers are wondering how the PDP governors that are gradually defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) will still be dividing the party.

To others, the FCT minister is fighting a proxy war to ensure that the PDP is in disarray, thus making it an easy ride for President Bola Tinubu in 2027. Observers believe that peace will continue to elude the PDP until 2027. Hardliners in the party are calling on the NEC to expel Wike outrightly as he has caused enough damage for the main opposition political party.

Another crucial issue before the NEC is the issue of substantive national chairman for the party. Damagum has been acting as National Chairman since the former occupier of the position, Senator Iyorchia Ayu stepped down.

Damagum is from Yobe state in the North East zone. The office of the substantive National chairman is zoned to the North Central. The North Central has been very restive, agitating that the office of the national chairman be returned to it.

During the April 18, 2024 NEC meeting, it was resolved that the next NEC meeting must ensure that the North Central should be giving it’s rightful position. Now that the Governors of the PDP and the National Working Committee have agreed that the NEC should hold this month, it is yet to be seen how Damagum will weather the storm. Will Damagum survive and be the arrow head for hosting the next national convention of the party slated for August this year.

The scheduled NEC meeting will also ratify zoning of the national offices of the party. The PDP governors had recommended  the zoning of offices and National Convention Committees for ratification by the NWC and NEC. At their meeting in Ibadan, the PDP governors set up a committee to address the zoning of the offices.

The governors zoning Committee is headed by Douye Diri (Bayelsa),  Dauda Lawal (Zamfara) is Vice Chairman and Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau) will serve as Secretary, while the National Convention Committee has Ahmadu Fintiri (Taraba) as Chairman; Ademola Adeleke (Osun)  as Vice Chairman and Peter Mbah (Enugu) as Secretary.

The zoning of the offices of the members of the NWC is so crucial as it will signpost where the presidential and vice presidential candidates of the party will come from.

If the Presidential candidate comes from the North, it is an indication that the PDP will be looking for a Southerner as the National Chairman. Again, if the NEC approves that the national chairman comes from the north, it will then be clear to Atiku that he is no longer wanted in the party. However, Atiku’s presidential ambition will be guaranteed if the national chairman comes from the South.

But, in all this, former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George, has advised Atiku a Wike to leave  PDP immediately because of their various anti-party activities.

He argued that the party is being embarrassed by the open display of affinity by the duo to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Commenting on the crisis rocking the PDP, George in a statement wondered why Atiku and Wike should be hobnobbing with opposition elements and still claim to be part of the PDP structure.

He said: “Anybody who is tired of PDP should leave and join another party. Enough of this embarrassment. As a founding elder of this party, I will not watch while some people openly disrespect the party. It is impossible.”

George asked, “So, why is Atiku hobnobbing with him politically? Is he not guilty of anti-party offence already?

“The other day, President Tinubu told Wike that APC must win the council election in FCT and he agreed.

“Wike has been given a direct order to win FCT for APC and he still claims to be a member of PDP. Are people now shameless politically that they cannot be principled? Where is the leadership of our party? Why are they tolerating Atiku and Wike? Why are they allowing the duo to continue to embarrass our party publicly?

“Now, some governors are joining them to endorse Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. I ask again: what exactly is going on in our party? Has discipline gone to the dogs? Has everything broken down completely? Has sanity taken flight in the way we run the party now?

“Nigerians are yearning for change, which only the PDP can offer because ours is the only organised party. Apart from Ganduje, who else do you know in APC NWC? APC is a one-man show being controlled from the Villa.

“This is the time for the national leadership of PDP to take decisive steps to save our great party”.

Which ever way, the May 27, 2025 NEC meeting will either make or mar the PDP as a political party. It is believed that if the NEC will have the political courage to sanction Atiku and Wike, some elements of sanity will return to the party. So, for political observers, the NEC is so crucial for the survival of the party and the politics of 2027.