Nigeria’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is engulfed in a deepening rift as its Board of Trustees (BoT) has thrown support behind 11 National Working Committee (NWC) members and demanded that the 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting go ahead on June 30, despite acting national chairman Umar Damagum’s announcement delaying the gathering.
In a strongly worded statement, BoT chairman and former Senate President Adolphus Wabara condemned Damagum’s actions as a “gross violation of party constitutional order,” deeming them “null and void.”
“The unilateral cancellation of the 100th NEC meeting and pronouncements by the acting national chairman are a gross violation of the party’s constitutional order,” the statement read.
The BoT reaffirmed that the NEC is PDP’s highest decision-making body after the national convention, stressing that no one person has the power to override its decisions.
“By virtue of Section 31(3) of the PDP Constitution, the resolution of the NEC at its 99th meeting held on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, to hold its 100th meeting on Monday, June 30, 2025, is binding on all organs and members of the PDP,” the statement continued.
“To this effect, being a NEC decision, no organ, group, or individual has the power or competence to cancel, adjust, or postpone the 100th NEC meeting already scheduled by NEC. Such conduct amounts to an affront to the constitutional authority of NEC and the collective will of our party.”
Regarding the status of the National Secretary, the BoT also rejected Damagum’s reinstatement of Senator Samuel Anyanwu, noting that it contravened the PDP constitution, a Supreme Court judgment, and an existing NEC resolution.
“The decision of the NWC at its 600th meeting directing the deputy national secretary to act as national secretary remains valid… The attempt by Amb. Damagum to overturn that decision is a gross abuse of office,” the BoT asserted.
It urged all NEC members to “disregard any contradictory notice or statement regarding the meeting,” adding:
“The 100th NEC meeting shall proceed as scheduled on Monday, June 30, 2025… All party members are advised to be guided by the supremacy of the PDP Constitution and resist any attempt to drag the party into an avoidable crisis.”
Damagum was contacted for comment but had not responded by filing time. Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed—chair of the PDP Governors’ Forum and part of Wednesday’s briefing—was similarly unavailable.
The rift in the party aligns closely with factions supporting Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
The Makinde camp supports Anyanwu’s removal and insists the NEC meeting proceed as planned, while Wike’s faction supports Anyanwu’s reinstatement and the postponement.
Sources say Wike is backing the re-election of President Bola Tinubu (APC), whereas Makinde eyes the PDP’s 2027 presidential ticket.
Eleven NWC members, led by Deputy National Chairman (South) Taofeek Arapaja and including Acting National Secretary Setonji Koshoedo, have lined up behind Makinde’s position.
On the opposing side are Wike/Damagum loyalists, Anyanwu, National Organising Secretary Umar Bature, Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), and National Youth Leader Suleiman Kadade—along with six NWC deputies who branded Makinde’s camp “merchants of instability” and urged reconciliation:
“We have advised all parties to come down from their high horses and jaw-jaw rather than war-war. A war between brothers and sisters has no victor; everyone loses,” their joint statement said.
They praised Damagum’s adherence to court rulings and urged all stakeholders to converge at the June 30 meeting.
A reconciliation panel led by former Senate President Bukola Saraki reportedly supports Anyanwu’s return strictly to regain constitutional legitimacy and ensure NEC decisions are valid under INEC’s oversight.
“Let me tell you what happened… For INEC to consider a notice valid, it must be jointly signed by the national chairman and the recognised national secretary,” said a committee insider.
They warned that failure to resolve the secretaryship issue could threaten PDP’s eligibility for the 2027 presidential election and the forthcoming FCT polls.
INEC clarified that it must receive at least 21 days’ notice of statutory meetings, such as NEC sessions, co-signed by the party’s national chairman and national secretary, or such meetings risk being deemed invalid:
“Every registered political party shall give the Commission at least 21 days’ notice… Failure of a political party to notify the Commission shall render the… meeting invalid,” explained Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu.
In related news, the Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled a fresh hearing on September 22 for the case over the legitimate National Secretary. Justice Mohammed Umar will oversee the renewed proceedings, which were previously postponed due to amendments to the suit.
