PDP Forms Reconciliation Committee Led by Saraki to Stem Defections and Resolve Leadership Rift

In response to escalating defections and internal strife, the Peoples Democratic Party has established a reconciliation committee chaired by former Senate President Bukola Saraki.

The committee was constituted following a high-level meeting on Monday involving PDP governors, former governors, and members of the National Working Committee, including acting National Chairman Umar Damagum.

The committee’s primary objectives include addressing the party’s leadership vacuum at the National Secretary position, which has been unresolved since December 2024, and mitigating the fallout from factional disputes in the South-South zone, particularly the lingering tensions between Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara and his predecessor Nyesom Wike.

The PDP has experienced significant defections since the 2023 elections, with the most damaging wave occurring in April when influential figures such as Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa joined the All Progressives Congress (APC). These defections have raised concerns about the party’s viability ahead of the 2027 polls.

Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, announced that Saraki’s seven-member panel includes serving governors from Zamfara, Plateau, and Enugu, as well as former governors from Bayelsa, Gombe, and Abia. “We are here with all the governors elected under the party who are still in the party and a substantial number of former PDP governors,” Mohammed said, emphasizing the committee’s mandate to “navigate smoothly” the upcoming National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting slated for May 27.

A senior source disclosed that the committee has already resolved the National Secretary dispute, endorsing Samuel Anyanwu’s return in line with a Supreme Court ruling. However, the PDP’s NWC maintains that Setonji Koshoedo is still the acting National Secretary, highlighting ongoing procedural complexities.

During the meeting, Wike defended his record, stating, “I was not involved in anti-party activities in 2023… I delivered all PDP candidates… No PDP serving governor delivered that much in 2023 for the party.” He challenged critics to provide evidence of any anti-party conduct.

Meanwhile, defections continue to impact the party, with three senators from Kebbi State citing PDP’s leadership failures as reasons for joining the APC. Former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam warned that without decisive leadership, the PDP risks collapse before 2027, describing the party as being in the ICU.

Despite this, some party leaders remain hopeful. PDP Deputy National Legal Adviser Okechukwu Osuoha compared the crisis to “turbulence” in flight, confident the party will reach its destination stronger.