Concerns and uncertainty surround the upcoming National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for May 27.
Governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are set to convene in Abuja amidst a wave of defections that have affected the party’s stability. Just two weeks prior, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, along with his predecessor Dy. Ifeanyi Okowa and the entire PDP apparatus in Delta, shifted their allegiance to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), marking a reduction in the number of PDP governors.
The governors had previously met three weeks ago in Ibadan and decided against joining coalition discussions led by PDP presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Oborevwori did not attend that meeting. The gathering today, which will occur at the Bauchi State Governors’ Lodge in Abuja, comes with rising trepidation as the party prepares for the crucial NEC meeting.
Sources indicate that today’s discussions are expected to tackle the internal crisis that has driven members like Oborevwori and Okowa away, with all three senators from Kebbi State also likely to join the APC soon. Legal disputes surrounding the status of PDP National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who has been sidelined in favor of Architect Setonji Koshoedo, remain unresolved ahead of the NEC meeting. Should legal issues prevent the meeting from occurring as scheduled, the likelihood of the national convention being postponed until after August grows.
Three key factions—the PDP Governors, the bloc backing Atiku Abubakar, and supporters of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike—are strategizing for the May 27 meeting. During the last PDP National Working Committee (NWC) gathering in Abuja, Acting National Chairman Ambassador Umar Ilyas Damagum announced that they would adopt the resolutions from the April 14 governors’ meeting in Ibadan.
This alignment sets the stage for a contentious clash among the factions, all vying for influence and control of party decisions. Though the PDP Governors’ Forum lacks constitutional recognition, their recommendations—which include opposing any political merger sought by Atiku’s supporters and appointing Koshoedo as acting National Secretary—were endorsed by the Damagum-led NWC. Furthermore, committees for zoning issues and the upcoming national convention have been proposed, with specific governors appointed to lead these efforts.
While Damagum has reportedly established a working relationship with the PDP governors and is offered chances to retain his position or regain his previous role as Deputy National Chairman (North), uncertainties linger about whether ongoing strategies will yield positive outcomes for several NWC members facing challenges to their reappointment.
Tensions regarding the future of the Damagum-led NWC, which had previously split into factions, have persisted, with calls for Damagum’s removal intensifying. Only the NEC can enact such changes per the party’s constitution. For Atiku’s supporters, the rejection of a coalition and the appointment of Governor Fintiri to lead the convention committee reflect pressing concerns.
Atiku loyalists are mobilizing efforts among party leaders to counter the influence of Wike and Anyanwu, seeking to support the formation of a caretaker committee or placing their allies in temporary leadership positions until the national convention is held later this year.
