The National Caucus meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party on Monday concluded without a resolution with the Governors’ Forum, the Board of Trustees leadership, and the peace committee headed by former Senate President Bukola Saraki set to meet on Tuesday (today) to decide the way forward for the stalled National Executive Committee meeting.
PDP acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, told journalists after nearly three hours of the caucus meeting in Abuja on Monday that the discussions would resume today by 10am.
Meanwhile, several prominent members of the PDP National Caucus, including former Vice Presidents Atiku Abubakar and Namadi Sambo, as well as former Senate President David Mark and former Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal were absent from the meeting, which was intended to lay the groundwork for the 99th National Executive Committee meeting originally scheduled for May 27.
The PDP has been grappling with internal political unrest both before and after the 2023 elections.
Challenges such as the crisis in Rivers State, disputes over the South South Zonal Congress, the controversy surrounding the position of the party’s National Secretary, and most recently, the North Central Zonal Congress, have further destabilised the party.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, along with Governors Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Ahmadu Fintiri (Taraba), and others, are angered by decisions made by the National Working Committee and the PDP Governors’ Forum.
These decisions, largely shaped by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, were seen as undermining the political influence of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Despite efforts by major party bodies like the NWC, Board of Trustees, NEC, and Governors’ Forum to mediate, the internal conflicts have only deepened, spreading across states and geopolitical zones.
This unresolved tension has stalled the NEC meeting and obstructed vital decisions regarding the party’s future.
The 98th NEC meeting, held on April 18, 2024, failed to resolve key disputes, escalating the division within the party. Although the 99th NEC meeting was originally planned for August 15, it was repeatedly postponed—to October 24, then November 28—before being indefinitely suspended.
Facing mounting pressure, the PDP Governors’ Forum, under the leadership of Bauchi State Governor instructed the NWC in December 2024 to hold the NEC meeting by February 2025.
This directive was reinforced during a January 31 meeting in Asaba, where March 13 was proposed. However, the date was again pushed to May 15 after further consultations.
Finally, during a meeting in Ibadan on April 11, a new date of May 27 was agreed upon. To ensure the meeting holds as scheduled, a seven-member committee composed of serving and former governors, led by former Senate President Bukola Saraki, was established to address outstanding issues.
In reaction to their refusal to recognise his allies, including Anyanwu as secretary, and to meet his demands, Wike on Sunday formally pulled out of all previous agreements intended to resolve the PDP’s internal crisis and pledged to continue the fight.
On Monday afternoon, around 2:06pm, the Federal Capital Territory Authority taskforce sealed several properties, including the PDP National Secretariat in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, over unpaid ground rent.
As a result, the BoT meeting, originally set to take place at Wadata Plaza by 3pm, was relocated to the party’s Legacy House office in Maitama for 4:30 p.m.
The meeting did not take place, and no additional explanation was given.
Additionally, after hours of discussion, the Governors, BoT leaders, and Saraki panel were unable to resolve the issues and postponed the meeting to 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday.
Speaking to the media, Damagum, accompanied by the PDP governors, stated that the results of today’s meeting would decide if the NEC meeting will take place.
He stated, “As you can see, we just adjourned our meeting for today (Monday) till tomorrow (today) 10am. This meeting is going to continue. We just set up a small committee that would give us a report and tomorrow (today) morning, we’ll continue.”
When asked whether the NEC meeting would hold as scheduled, Damagum said, “When you come tomorrow (today), we will answer this question after our meeting.”
Reliable sources, who attended the National Caucus meeting, told The KUKURUKU on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorisation to speak on the issue, that the meeting was adjourned to allow Saraki’s panel meet with some party leaders Monday night.
He stated, “The meeting has been adjourned until tomorrow, Tuesday. Tonight, some of the party leaders will meet. Saraki’s panel will also meet and present solution reports tomorrow.
“These solution-based reports will set the pace to reopen peace discussions and determine if the NEC meeting can hold as scheduled. If not, a new date for the NEC meeting will be announced.”
The PDP is facing one of its most difficult times since its formation in 1998. Having lost several members in the federal parliament, the latest being Oluwole Oke, a five-time member of the House of Representatives from Osun State, more defections, as being touted, would place the party at a competitive disadvantage with the ruling APC, with less than two years to the 2027 general election.
There’s also the dramatic defection of the PDP’s former vice presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa; the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori and the entire PDP party structure in Delta, one of the former ruling party’s strongholds, to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Delta Deputy Governor Monday Onyeme, state commissioners, local government chairmen, and the state’s grassroots machinery all bowed to ‘Hurricane Tinubu’, which had swept the PDP apart, with the opposition claiming the country was drifting towards a one-party state.
Umar Damagum has faced intense criticisms since taking over from Iyorchia Ayu.
The crisis has disrupted operations at all levels, with most state chapters in disarray and zonal structures — particularly in the South-South — severely weakened.
Conflicts over the position of National Secretary have further split the National Working Committee, leaving it largely ineffective.
Additionally, the terms of many Board of Trustees members have lapsed without replacements, and the few remaining are split into opposing camps.
