PDP NEC Meeting Postponed Again as Internal Crisis Deepens; Governors, BoT, and Saraki Panel to Meet

The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) efforts to hold its 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting have been thwarted once more after the National Caucus meeting on Monday failed to reach a consensus.

The Governors’ Forum, Board of Trustees (BoT), and a peace committee led by former Senate President Bukola Saraki are set to meet Tuesday to chart a path forward.

Speaking after the caucus meeting in Abuja, acting National Chairman Umar Damagum said discussions would resume at 10 a.m. Tuesday. “We just adjourned our meeting for today till tomorrow 10am. This meeting is going to continue,” he stated. On whether the NEC meeting would proceed, Damagum said, “When you come tomorrow, we will answer this question after our meeting.”

Several prominent PDP leaders, including former Vice Presidents Atiku Abubakar and Namadi Sambo, former Senate President David Mark, and former House Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, were absent from the meeting aimed at preparing for the NEC gathering originally scheduled for May 27.

The party continues to grapple with internal disputes, including crises in Rivers State, controversies over zonal congresses in the South South and North Central regions, and disagreements over the National Secretary position. These challenges have exacerbated factionalism within the party.

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, along with Governors Caleb Mutfwang and Ahmadu Fintiri, have expressed frustration with decisions made by the National Working Committee and Governors’ Forum, which they believe diminish Wike’s political influence. These tensions have spread across the party’s national structure.

The NEC meeting has been repeatedly postponed since April 2024 due to unresolved conflicts. Although initially planned for August 15, 2024, the 99th NEC meeting was deferred multiple times before being rescheduled for May 27, 2025. A seven-member committee led by Saraki was established to resolve outstanding issues, but progress remains elusive.

Wike formally withdrew from previous agreements to resolve the crisis on Sunday, pledging to continue his struggle after his allies were sidelined. On Monday, the Federal Capital Territory Authority sealed the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja over unpaid ground rent, forcing the BoT meeting to relocate and eventually be postponed.

The PDP faces significant challenges ahead of the 2027 elections, with defections such as those of Ifeanyi Okowa and Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to the ruling APC weakening the party’s influence. Internal divisions have disrupted party activities nationwide, with many state chapters and zonal structures in disarray.