- Accuse APC of buying over key figures, driving Nigeria to one party state
- ‘Without formidable force, journey to 2027 long gone’ lPDP postpones NEC meeting 5th time
Some chieftains of the People’s Democratic Party have accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of “buying over some of their key figures and using them to implode the party.”
The stalwarts of the party, in their separate interviews with THE POINT, admitted that the crisis rocking the PDP is festering, saying the party needs “people of goodwill” who are loyal to the party and patriotic to the country to salvage it from its current mess.
They also canvassed the need for a formidable force that consists of PDP, other interested opposition parties and Nigerians who are determined to rescue Nigeria from its present socio-economic challenges.
If this is not done, they said the journey to taking over the country in 2027 is “long gone.”
Amid the raging divisions, the party chieftains identified lack of cohesion, unity and focus as bane of the party, saying, “This is not the best of times for us as PDP leaders and members.”
Speaking, with THE POINT, a former National Chairman, South West of the PDP, Eddy Olafeso, explained that since PDP left power about 10 years now, some leaders whose conscience has been bought by “dollars and pounds” have contributed in imploding the party.
He said if the party is not disciplined and members not specifically built on loyalty to the party, then PDP may be having futile efforts towards winning the 2027 presidential poll.
Tracing the root causes of the party’s challenges, Olafeso identified lack of cohesion, unity and focus by some leaders and members.
For him, “It is actually the lack of unity, cohesion and focus that we are suffering from. Nobody can deny the fact that this is not the best time for our party. It is high time we arose and fixed this ugly condition.”
“When you have people of low patriotism and loyalty to the party, these are the challenges we face. We have people who will attack the party and will turn back to acting as if they are the victims. However, I have not lost hope in my belief that the party will bounce back. We will be able to diagnose our people in winning ways. If we trace the challenges of the party, we will discover that the people fighting the party are the same people that the party lifted to limelight from obscurity. If we are not disciplined, we have no vision, if we are not ideologically oriented, then we are heading nowhere,” he said.
“It is actually the lack of unity, cohesion and focus that we are suffering from. Nobody can deny the fact that this is not the best time for our party. It is high time we arose and fixed this ugly condition.”
As a member of the National Reconciliation Committee of the PDP, Olafeso disclosed, “I have firm belief in our governors and leaders that we will move from this very unfortunate position to a place where we can find cohesion again.”
The PDP chieftain accused the ruling APC of striving to make Nigeria a one party state by using money to poach key opposition members.
He added that the President Bola Tinubu led administration has succeeded in undermining the essence of democracy by using institutions that should be neutral and apolitical to favour the ruling party.
According to him, “Along the challenge is that we have a ruling party that is desirous in making Nigeria a one party state. APC has connived with all the institutions of governance in the country to continue to undermine the essence of democracy. What I mean by this is that look at all the judgements coming out from the courts, look at all that is going on with security institutions, look at all that is going on with all the institutions saddled with the responsibility of elections and every other thing. The ruling party APC has brought a new dimension of poverty into our country. The rate of unemployment, inflation, monetary policies, they have enslaved Nigerians. We are in a very difficult situation.”
Admitting that the PDP is confronted by multi-dimensional challenges and needed “people of strong will” to make the party cohesive, United, focused and formidable, Olafeso insisted that “APC wants to kill PDP.”
Notwithstanding, he noted that PDP is resolute and committed to forge a lasting reconciliation that would make the party strong and united.
“We are resolute. We are hopeful that a new energy, a new thinking and a new reorientation to ensure that we look into the future and our people are given a pride of place in the country,” he stated.
Lamenting how those the party assisted in getting to top political positions have been fighting the party, Olafeso said, “We are perplexed and overwhelmingly despondent. Some people are throwing grenades and bombs into this PDP house that helped them grow politically. It is a long walk for us and we have to walk the walk and talk the talk.”
“Unless we have a formidable party, the journey for 2027 is long gone. Their desire is to make Nigeria one party state and continue to cater for themselves and fend for themselves in billions while Nigerians live in abject poverty and go to bed with empty stomachs. We are in a stage of siege; poverty has taken over the land. We need men of goodwill to make desired changes. Our party must get serious; we are not getting serious enough.
The continuous crisis is pushing Nigerians into multidimensional poverty in Nigeria. This is a clarion call to everyone who claims to be in PDP or other political parties that unless we are formidable, there is no future that these people cannot destroy. They have captured the judiciary and they are using money to buy political relevance. They are desirous of criminally acquiring Nigeria.
“Those who sell PDP to APC should stop. I am a member of the National Reconciliation Committee and we have been touring the country to make peace. I can tell you that APC is evil. PDP will return and we will be better than what we are now,” he assured.
Also weighing in his thoughts, another chieftain of the PDP, Akindele Adekunle expressed optimism that the crisis ravaging the party would soon be over.
Adekunle, a former chairman of the Osun State chapter of the PDP, disclosed that there are forces that seek to destabilise and destroy PDP.
He assured that PDP, notwithstanding the prevailing challenges, is prepared and focused in disclosing the ruling APC come 2027.
“In every administration, you expect some kind of disagreement once in a while. The PDP is intact as ever. We are aware that they (APC) set up some external forces to destabilise us. But, it is a party that has a tradition that has a culture. The NWC is on top of all the problems in the party. The reconciliation efforts are ongoing to reconcile all parties,” he said.
Adekunle added, “But, even the APC have their own problems. It is just that they are trying to cover it up and at the right time, their own crisis will be open to the public. The party (PDP) is forever prepared for 2027 elections and you could see that there are a lot of consultations across various interest groups in the party. So, I am sure that by 2027, we will be prepared to contest for the presidential election of this country.”
PDP postpones NEC meeting 5th time
Amidst the lingering crisis rocking the party, the PDP has again postponed its National Executive Committee meeting, rescheduling it for May 15, 2025.
A statement issued on Sunday by the PDP’s National Secretary, Sunday Udeh-Okoye, said the meeting, originally slated for March 13, was delayed due to pending zonal, state, local government, and ward congresses, as well as the need for further consultations.
This marks the fifth time the PDP has rescheduled its 99th NEC meeting.
The party leadership announced that after consulting with all party organs, the 99th NEC meeting has, for the fifth time, been postponed to May 15.
The statement read, “Distinguished members of the National Executive Committee may recall that after due deliberation by party leaders, stakeholders, and relevant organs of the party, the NEC meeting was scheduled to be held on Wednesday, March 13, 2025.
“However, following emerging issues, including the need to conclude our pending zonal, state, local government, and ward congresses, as well as to allow for further consultations to ensure the smooth conduct of the meeting — especially concerning other proposed activities of our party — the NWC, after due consultation with leaders, stakeholders, and relevant organs of the party, including the Board of Trustees (BoT), the PDP Governors’ Forum, and the PDP National Assembly Caucus, hereby notifies distinguished NEC members that the 99th NEC meeting, earlier scheduled for Wednesday, March 13, 2025, has been unavoidably shifted to Thursday, May 15, 2025.
“All NEC members should please note the change of date and be guided accordingly.
“The NWC sincerely regrets any inconvenience this change of date may cause distinguished NEC members,” the statement said.
The crisis in the PDP deepened at the weekend as the South-South Zone of the party rebuked the National Working Committee for overreaching itself by appointing a caretaker committee for the zone, insisting that the recent zonal congress held in Calabar, the Cross River State capital was constitutional.
This is just as former vice president and presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, has denied reports that he had dumped the party, saying he has no plans to leave the PDP.
He renewed his support for a coalition of political parties to defeat the All Progressives Congress in 2027.
The NWC had on Friday rejected the zonal congress of the South-South Zonal Executive two weeks ago and appointed a caretaker committee headed by Emma Ogidi from Delta State.
But reacting to the appointment of the caretaker committee and the nullification of the zonal congress, the South-South Zonal Publicity Secretary, Etim Isong, in a statement, insisted that the decision of the PDP NWC to invalidate the zonal congress ran against judicial precedents that allowed states and zonal structures of the party to organise themselves.
He argued that the PDP operates under a well-defined constitution that provides clear guidelines for the smooth operation of the party at all levels.
“The recent statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, announcing the purported appointment of a South-South Zonal Caretaker Committee is a gross violation of the PDP’s Constitution and an affront to the rule of law.
“The PDP Constitution explicitly outlines the processes for electing zonal officers and managing zonal affairs. According to Section 28(2)(b) of the PDP Constitution, the Zonal Congress is the only body empowered to elect officers of the Zonal Working Committee.
“Furthermore, Section 28(3) provides that the zonal congress shall meet at the instance of the National Vice Chairman from the zone. Additionally, Section 27(2)(c) clearly defines the Zonal Executive Committee as the only organ empowered to summon the Zonal Congress and prepare its agenda, while Section 27(3) mandates that the meeting of the Zonal Executive Committee shall be at the instance of the National Vice Chairman.
“In strict adherence to these provisions, on February 15, 2025, the South-south Zonal Chapter of the PDP held its Zonal Executive Committee meeting in Benin, Edo State, at the instance of the National Vice Chairman from the Zone, Chief Dan Osi Orbih, as required by Section 27(3) of the PDP Constitution.
“During this meeting, the Zonal Executive Committee approved February 22, 2025, for the meeting of the Zonal Congress, in line with Section 27(2)(c).
On the said date, the Zonal Congress, exercising its powers as provided in Section 28(2)(b), duly elected officers of the South-south Zonal Working Committee, including Chief Dan Osi Orbih as National Vice Chairman and Barrister George Turner as Zonal Secretary.
“Prior to the conduct of this congress, the party informed the Independent National Electoral Commission which sent its staff to monitor the exercise in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act,” he explained.
Isong said it was shocking and unacceptable that an officer of the NWC, Ologunagba, who claims to be a lawyer, would overreach his constitutional mandate to announce a purported appointment of a Zonal Caretaker Committee to assume positions that are not vacant.
“By the provisions of Section 33(2) of the PDP Constitution, only the National Convention, as the supreme controlling organ of the party, enjoys the powers to invalidate the actions or decisions of a zonal congress.
“Furthermore, Section 29(2)(a) stipulates that the National Working Committee is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the party at the national level and operates under the control of the National Executive Committee. While Section 29(2)(b) empowers the NWC to act on behalf of the NEC in emergencies, it explicitly states that such actions are subject to ratification by the NEC. In other words, the NWC cannot hide under the guise of an “emergency” to perpetrate illegality,” the zonal publicity secretary further explained.
According to him, this is not the first time the NWC attempted to overstep its bounds, adding that judicial precedents had consistently reaffirmed the limits of its powers.
He recalled that in 2012, the Adebayo Dayo-led State Executive Committee of the Ogun State Chapter of PDP dragged the NWC to the Federal High Court in Lagos in suit number FHC/L/CS/347/2012, over the powers of the State Executive Committee to conduct the Ogun State Congress without the directive, involvement, or sanctioning of the NWC.
According to him, the Ogun State chapter of the party got a favourable judgment against the NWC, which was upheld by the Supreme Court.
He added that in 2016, the Federal High Court in Lagos, in a judgment delivered on suit number FHC/L/CS/636/2016 reaffirmed that the power to summon congresses resides with the party’s respective executive committees, relying on the 2012 judgment.
“In 2020, the Uche Secondus-led NWC instituted a fresh suit on the same subject before Justice Iyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja. Justice Ekwo dismissed the suit as frivolous, noting it had been determined in 2016, and ruled that only the executive committees at the respective levels are empowered to summon congresses at those levels,” he added.
He called on all party leaders, stakeholders, and members in the South-South Zone to disregard what he described as this illegal action and continue to work together in the overall interest of the party, in line with the provisions of the PDP Constitution and the rule of law.
The National Working Committee of the PDP had earlier set up a caretaker committee for the party’s south-south zone.
This was disclosed in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba on Friday.
A faction of the party loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had reelected Dan Orbih as chairman of the zone.
The party’s national leadership had last week cancelled the zonal congress, explaining that the reelected zonal chairman was still under suspension.
Wike and former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke and several allies of the FCT minister had attended the zonal congress that is now cancelled
This was despite a letter by the embattled National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, that he was authorised to write a letter to Dan Orbih that his suspension was lifted since October 2024
However, Ologunagba stated that, “pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017) approved the composition of the South South Zonal Caretaker Committee to manage the affairs of the Party in the Zone from Monday, March 10, 2025.”
According to Ologunagba, ”The decision of the NWC is predicated on the need to avoid any vacuum and ensure the smooth running of the affairs of the Party in the South South Zone at the expiration of the tenure of the current Zonal Executive on Sunday, March 9, 2025.”
He disclosed that members of the South South Zonal Caretaker Committee are: Emma Ogidi as Chairman; Hon. Nicholas Ayuwa, Godwin Akpan Udonta, Mrs. Bekewei Ashanti, Idehen Ebomoyi, Dame Vivia and Ahanmise as members, while Chief Damiete Herbert-Mille would serve as Secretary.
Assigning duties to the caretaker committee, Ologunagba said, “The South South Zonal Caretaker Committee is to oversee the activities of the party in the zone for a period of three months until when a new zonal executive is elected in accordance with the provisions of the constitution of the PDP.”
He stated that the NWC enjoined all party leaders, critical stakeholders and members of the party in the south-south zone to be “guided by this and continue to work together in the overall interest of the party in the zone.”
However, failure to resolve the ongoing leadership crisis and factional disputes could hinder the party’s preparations for upcoming elections and its ability to present a united front to the electorate.
Stakeholders worry that the PDP faces a critical test of its capacity to overcome internal challenges and chart a cohesive path forward.
Many senior members of the party explained that without decisive efforts to tackle the root causes of its internal divisions, the PDP risks further fragmentation and a decline in its electoral prospects.
Stakeholders are more worried that efforts at controlling more states of the federation are not yielding desired results.
“Many senior members of the party explained that without decisive efforts to tackle the root causes of its internal divisions, the PDP risks further fragmentation and a decline in its electoral prospects.”
This fear followed a major setback the PDP suffered in its preparations for the upcoming Anambra State governorship election, as no aspirant reportedly purchased the party’s N40 million expression of interest and nomination forms.
The sale, which was scheduled to run from February 24 to March 5, and the March 7 submission deadline have officially closed, with no flag bearer.
The Anambra PDP governorship primary is slated for April 5, with an appeal committee session scheduled for April 8. Despite these impending dates, the party has failed to attract any candidates to contest for the position under its banner.
An insider within the PDP, speaking on the condition of anonymity, hinted that internal crises within the party are largely to blame for the lack of interest among potential aspirants.
The source explained that many are wary of the party’s internal instability, which has deterred them from stepping forward to challenge for the governorship seat.
This situation leaves the PDP in a precarious position as it prepares for one of the most important elections in the state’s political history. With the nomination window now closed, it remains uncertain how the party will proceed in the absence of a viable candidate.