– Party Crisis Deepens Amid High-Profile Defections, 2027 Power Tussle
Abuja – June 18, 2025
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) notification for its upcoming 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, citing procedural irregularities in the signing of official correspondence.
In a letter dated June 13 and signed by the Acting Secretary to the Commission, Hajiya Hau’ru Aminu, INEC pointed to a breach of Part 2(12)3 of its 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties. According to the provision, any notice of convention, congress, or NEC meeting must be jointly signed by the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary.
However, the PDP’s notification, which was received by INEC on May 30 for a proposed June 30 meeting, was signed solely by Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, without the required co-signature of National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
Although the notice was submitted within the statutory 21-day window, the absence of the Secretary’s signature rendered it invalid in the eyes of the Commission.
Party Struggles Intensify Ahead of Key NEC Meeting
The development comes at a time when the PDP is battling intense internal turmoil following its defeat in the 2023 general elections. The NEC meeting—if eventually held—is expected to address critical issues, including leadership disputes, ratification of zonal congresses, and adoption of key committee reports.
The party’s internal discord has triggered a wave of defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). In April, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his deputy Monday Onyeme, and former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa—along with several commissioners and key political actors in the state—defected to the APC, marking a significant blow to the PDP’s structure in the South-South.
This mass exodus reportedly prompted an emergency National Working Committee (NWC) meeting earlier in the year, as the party sought to stem further erosion of its influence.
2027 Presidential Ambitions Fuel Further Divisions
Amidst the leadership wrangling, preparations for the 2027 general elections have sparked fresh divisions. The G5 Governors, led by former Rivers State Governor and current FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, met in Abuja on June 9. The group renewed calls for the PDP to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, arguing that the move would restore regional balance and reinvigorate party loyalty.
Meanwhile, former Vice President and PDP’s 2023 presidential flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar, has been involved in a series of high-level consultations. He has reportedly met with Labour Party’s Peter Obi and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai to build a united opposition coalition ahead of 2027—a move aimed at preventing what he described as a slide into a one-party state under the APC.
But not everyone within the PDP agrees with the coalition strategy. Senior party figures like Chief Bode George have dismissed such moves as premature, expressing confidence that the PDP can resolve its internal crisis internally and emerge stronger before the scheduled NEC meeting.
As the PDP navigates a minefield of legal technicalities, leadership disputes, and looming political realignments, the fate of its June 30 NEC meeting remains uncertain. With INEC’s rejection now on record, the party may need to go back to the drawing board to avoid a deeper constitutional crisis.
