The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last week held its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja. The all-important meeting which in the last two years had been postponed severally signaled the beginning of a new dawn for the party. It marked the beginning of a long process aimed at revitalizing its fortunes.
The main opposition party had been going through a severe self-inflicted crisis, which some people had insinuated would lead to its final burial. But against such perilous predictions, the party rose to reckoning in a bold move to reinvent and reposition itself ahead of the 2027 general election.
For many reasons, it was thought that the PDP would again shift the NEC meeting, which was the 99th. Firstly, its national secretariat, which is the usual venue for such meetings, was sealed a day before by officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administrator as a result of non-payment of ground rent. Some observers believe that the action allegedly orchestrated by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike was to scuttle the meeting because of his running battle with the party's leadership and some members.
Secondly, there were also fears that the moles and anti-democratic forces within the party will spring up issues that would lead to squabble and exchange of blows, which would ultimately make the meeting end in a fiasco. Also, there were fears of low turnout, which would have made it impossible for the NEC to form a quorum.
But alas, all of that did not happen, and the meeting took place in an atmosphere of camaraderie. To ensure that it shocked its enemies and naysayers, it activated a Plan B at the last minute by moving the venue from the sealed Wadata Plaza to another edifice, the Legacy House, the presidential campaign office of the party.
That deft move showcased the party's resilience and determination to move forward. It also demonstrated the PDP's ability to adapt and overcome obstacles.
At the end of the NEC meeting, one thing was obvious, the shared commitment that was displayed by the members to rescue the party from its current abyss. The unity among the members was palpable. Those who attended, including key leaders and organs of the party, were all smiles, sharing jokes, exchanging banters, and posing for photographs.
The outcome of the NEC meeting was a testament to the renewed spirit in the party. It proved strongly that the PDP was ready to get back on its feet as fast as possible. What shocked many was how it navigated over the contentious and lingering issue of the National Secretary position. For deferring a resolution on it till it's next meeting so as to meet the constitutional requirements of the party in removing elected officials, the PDP NEC showed extraordinary wisdom.
To emphasize its readiness to fully bounce back, the PDP affirmed the nomination of Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, as the chairman of the National Zoning Committee. The party's governors forum had during its meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State, on April 14 this year nominated Diri for the important task of allocating party offices equitably to the six geo-political zones.
The NEC also ratified the choice of Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri as chairman of the PDP National Convention Planning Committee. The ratification was also a confirmation of the National Convention slated for the 28th to 30th of August 2025.
Going by the successful outcome of the meeting and the assurances by the Acting National Chairman, Amb. Iliyasu Umar Damagum as well as the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, it is a popular view that the party is poised to put behind its setbacks, chief of which is the mass defection of some of its key members including the Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa.
But it is not yet uhuru for the party. While progressive Nigerians are praying for it to settle its internal conflicts and play its role as a viable opposition, the PDP must purge itself of erring members like the garrulous FCT minister and his cohorts. It is very laughable to allow Wike who is at the center of the controversies and rebellion within the party to continue to be addressed as a member.
Nothing good will come out of its efforts to relaunch itself if Wike continues to exist as a member. The PDP must wield the big stick and call his bluffs by expelling him. It is only then that they can truly move forward. Allowing him to continue to function would make the party look weak. For a man who has declared that "I will continue to fight," the party should expect the worse.
The PDP should also be sensitive on the zoning of its presidential ticket in 2027. Some members of the party feel that it was an unwise thing to have zoned the ticket in 2023 to the North. It must ensure that its wide consultation on this sensitive issue is robust and reflects its ideal as a democratic party.
Finally, members of the PDP must give the Senator Bukola Saraki led Reconciliation Committee a chance to resolve all the issues that have brought about a sharp division. There should be no reason not to allow the committee to succeed because it will be in the best interest of all. Nigeria cannot function as a one-party state. That will be a great danger to the unbroken democracy that we have enjoyed in the last 26 years.
