2027: Tension as PDP holds make or mar NEC
By Ndukaku Ihe
Tension is mounting in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the opposition party’s 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Monday, to decide on the zoning of party offices.
The NEC, which is the second highest organ of the opposition party, at the meeting is expected to consider and adopt the report of its National Zoning Committee, as well as receive briefing from its National Convention Planning Committee.
This is as there were indications that the zoning committee has resolved to retain its existing zoning formula, with the national chairman coming from the North.
The National chairmanship of the PDP is currently zoned to the North, and micro-zoned to the North Central, while the National Secretary position, which is zoned to the South is micro-zoned to the South East.
Other positions zoned to the North are deputy national chairman (North); National Organizing Secretary, National Treasurer, National Youth Leader and National Legal Adviser while the positions zoned to the South include Deputy National chairman (South), Deputy National Secretary, National Publicity Secretary, National Financial Secretary, National Auditor and National Woman leader.
However, party sources told the media yesterday, that the position will be swapped among the various geo-political zones. It was gathered that in the proposed arrangement, the South West will produce the National Secretary, while the South- South will produce the deputy national chairman (South) and the South East, deputy national secretary.
A source at the PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, informedthat ahead of the NEC meeting, the various camps in the party have been meeting and mobilizing their supporters to ensure that “voices are not drowned.”
According to him, “tomorrow NEC means a lot to the party, and the various interests, as far as the the 2027 contest is concerned. Whatever happens tomorrow will define the outlook of the party in the next general elections.”
In the run-up to the meeting, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), held a crucial meeting, at the Wadata Plaza, yesterday(Sunday) afternoon while the National Caucus, was billed to meet late in the night at the Bauchi Governors Lodge, in Asokoro, Abuja.
The NWC meeting was attended by the acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, national secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, deputy national secretary, Setonji Koshedo and other members of the party organ.
The PDP, which has been embroiled in crises, since the conclusion of the 2023 general elections, with the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and PDP Governors Forum, led by the Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed and his Oyo State, counterpart, Seyi Makinde, has been engaged in battle of supremacy.
In the tussle over who is the national secretary of the opposition party, the PDP Governors supported former national youth leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye, who was nominated by the South East caucus as the national secretary while Wike supported Anyanwu to continue.
After the crises over the national secretary position was resolved, with the Governors Forum accepting the return of Anyanwu as national secretary, the PDP at its 101st NEC, last month, approved to hold its National Convention to elect new NWC members, on November 15 and 16, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
However, the FCT Minister, during a media chat, earlier in the month, insisted that the failure of the party to recognize the South South “zonal congress”, which produced Dan Orbih as “the national vice chairman” for the zone, as well as its continued recognition of Ali Odefa, who was “expelled” by his ward, was a threat to the peace of the party.
Also, in a television programme, last week, Wike said he was not aware that the PDP has scheduled its national convention for Ibadan, noting that a meeting of the party’s NEC was yet to hold to take decision to that effect.
However, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, in his reaction, said all the decision for the Convention was duly approved by the NEC in line with the party’s constitution. According to him, there is evidence that a letter inviting the FCT Minister was received by his office.
AbeyaNews gathered that in anticipation of approval of the Zoning Committee proposal retaining the existing zoning formula, at the NEC, leaders of the opposition party in the North West and North Central are at logger heads,over which zone will produce the national chairman in the forthcoming dispensation.
A member of NEC from the North, who confirmed this to the media, said it is not in the interest of the party for the North West to produce the depot.
According to him, “yes, the North Central is pushing for the national championship. But the North Central is insisting to have it. And I think, I am one of those who believe that, that should be the case. Come to think of it, we can pick our running mate from the North West. That is where the population is. And if you said North West should have the chairman, you are not likely to have the VP again from the North West. That is logical argument.
“In our situation now, we need where the population is. And you know North West has seven states with a large population.”
The Northern caucus is expected to meet after the approval of the zonal formula, today , to micro -positions ceded to the area among the three geo-political zones.
However, in the South, it was gathered that leaders of the zone are proposing that the position of national secretary, which is currently in the South East, should be moved to the South West, while the South South produce the deputy national chairman (South), with South East producing the deputy national secretary. Also, the South South is pencilled to produce the national publicity secretary.
Recall that the Southern PDP leaders, last week, held a Consultative meeting, with Makinde, the Bayelsa governor, Diri Douye, chairman of the Board of Trustees ( BoT), Adolphus Wabara, amongst others, in Lagos, over the sharing of party of offices zoned to the area.
Prior to the meeting, loyalists of the FCT Minister, in South, after a meeting,in Abuja, kicked against the Lagos parley. The party’s stakeholders, in a statement by the minority leader, House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda, said they will not accept any decision reached at the meeting.
Meanwhile, the PDP has resolved to seek a political solution to the conflict in its South East chapter, which is currently factionalized with two persons laying claims to the leadership of the PDP in the zone.
The party has been polarized along the Zonal Working Committee ( ZWC) led by Odefa recognized by both the Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah, and another faction led by Chidiebere Egwu, which enjoys the support of the Wike group.
It was gathered that the decision to explore a political solution to the South East issue, so that it does not jeopardize the entire convention, which is critical to the 2027 outing of the opposition party.
A member of the Wike camp, in the South East, confirmed that the PDP national leadership, has reached out to them for a political solution over the Odefa issue.
According to him, the proposal is for the structure to the opposition party in Ebonyi State to be ceded to Odefa adversaries in the state, while in return, they will withdraw their opposition to the embattled party leader.
“The party is seeking a political solution in our zone (South East) so that there will be peace. But you know they are taking the national secretary to South West. And we will not allow that”, he stated.
