The crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party may not end soon as the members of the National Executive Council of the party are set for a showdown with the faction led by former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, over the continued stay in office of the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum.
This comes as the allies of Wike and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde continue to dominate the party’s ward and state structures.
The TheNigerian previously reported that Damagum enjoys the support of at least four governors along with the backing from the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Wike.
The four governors, who are believed to be aligned with Wike, are Governors Makinde, Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State and Agbu Kefas of Taraba State.
Sources within the party leadership confirmed that with the support of Wike, Makinde and others, Damagum and a few loyal National Working Committee members planned to stay in office and potentially contest in the November 2025 national elective convention.
A top PDP chieftain, who requested anonymity due to lack of authorisation to speak on the matter, revealed that Wike’s group has solidified its control over the party’s structure following the recent ward, local government and state congresses.
Since Damagum assumed the role of acting national chairman of the PDP following the court removal of Senator Iyorchia Ayu, he has faced criticisms from party leaders, with many voices calling for his resignation.
At the 98th NEC meeting on April 18, party leaders approved the formation of a reconciliation and disciplinary committee and the conduct of ward and state congresses. They also instructed the North Central Caucus to consult on replacing the acting National Chairman with a permanent one.
The 99th NEC meeting, initially scheduled for August 15, was postponed to October 24, then rescheduled for November 28, before being indefinitely postponed.
Wike took control of the Rivers State PDP structure despite the opposition from Governor Sim Fubara.
But with the backing of the Damagum-led NWC, Wike’s group has expanded its influence over the party in several states.
A trusted source close to the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, revealed that the party’s crisis was centred around the 2027 presidential election.
He stated, “They have been strategising for some time and are already putting their plans into action. It is widely known that they have crafted a strategy for Damagum to remain in the acting role and complete Ayu’s term, which is why they have consistently delayed and postponed the National Executive Committee meetings.
“Currently, their control over more than two-thirds of the NEC has made it difficult for the divided Governors Forum and other party stakeholders to take any action against their interests, as they hold significant influence. With the recent ward and state congresses, they have successfully positioned their allies in key roles, taking control of more than 60 per cent of the 36 states. They closely monitor the state chairmen to ensure they remain loyal to their cause.”
He added, “Damagum and several members of the NWC plan to seek re-election, with the backing of Wike, Makinde, Fintiri and other influential party leaders. If the situation continues to favour them, they intend to pursue re-election at the 2025 PDP elective convention.
“Wike’s faction is determined to maintain control of the party’s structure, aiming to influence who secures the party’s 2027 presidential ticket and even control the party’s activities leading up to the 2027 elections, both within and outside the party. It is painful that the party is in poor condition because they are trying to forcefully achieve their goals. I hope the PDP can survive this and the developments leading up to 2025.
“Other party leaders are pushing for Damagum’s removal to allow North Central to provide a replacement. In fact, some are opposed to any current NWC member running for re-election.”
Another source from Wike and Makinde’s camp, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the Damagum-led NWC had the backing of at least 29 state chairmen.
The source, who referred to other party members calling for Damagum’s removal as mere noise-makers, insisted that the party was on the right path under Damagum’s leadership.
He stated, “They are just noise-makers. The Damagum-led NWC enjoys the support of at least 29 state chapters, and they have confidence in him. So, the party is on the right track, and Damagum remains the leader of the party.”
Reacting, a member of the NEC and a PDP leader from the North-Central region, former National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, confirmed that they were aware that many members of the Damagum-led NWC were planning to extend his term and even seek re-election.
In an interview with The TheNigerian on Tuesday, Ologbondiyan stated that other party leaders are also taking counter-actions.
He emphasised that regardless of the time left in Ayu’s tenure, North-Central would nominate a replacement to finish it.
Ologbondiyan added, “We are aware of their strategy and calculations, and we are making our plans. Their goal is to stay in power beyond 2025, and this is known to all party stakeholders. The issue is ongoing; it’s a game they are playing, and we will respond with the necessary action.”
The party leader urged the governors to step up and save the party from potential collapse.
He stated, “Even the governors have acknowledged that things are not right within the PDP. If they can admit that there’s a crisis, then they should take steps to resolve it if they truly want the party to survive.
“If they want the party to thrive, they must act decisively. But if they don’t care and are willing to let the party collapse, it’s unfortunate.”
Concerning the attempt to have Damagum serve Ayu’s term despite the North-Central’s opposition, Ologbondiyan stated, “Regardless of how much time is left in Ayu’s term, if it’s just one more day, North-Central will claim its position. What matters most is that fairness must prevail.”
On his part, former PDP National Secretary, Senator Umar Ibrahim-Tsauri, described the situation in the party as unfortunate, noting that many members were deeply concerned.
In an interview with The TheNigerian, Tsauri decried the disregard for the party’s constitution by some members.
He stated, “We are not happy with what is happening in the PDP. Any genuine member of this party is concerned about the state of the party. It is unfortunate that the party is in such a sorry state.
“Whether they want to perpetuate themselves as leaders of the party is a completely different matter. Our main problem, like in the entire country, not just in the PDP, is that we have a constitution that has not been followed.
“We don’t respect our constitution. The PDP has a constitution that guides the leadership and day-to-day operations of the party, but people don’t respect the law. If we had followed our constitution, we wouldn’t be facing all these problems.
“Our constitution is very clear: if a chairman exits for any reason—whether through death, dismissal, or resignation—the constitution outlines what should be done. If we had followed that, we wouldn’t have a problem, and no one would be trying to perpetuate themselves in power.”
Attempts to get PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, and Damagum’s response on the issue were unsuccessful, as they did not answer calls or reply to messages.
However, sources close to the former Vice President told our correspondent that Atiku was currently consulting and strategising.
The source, who also spoke on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorisation to speak on the issue, said, “Atiku Abubakar is like a mother. No matter how badly children behave, their mother will not disown them. What I can tell you is that Atiku is doing a lot behind the scene.”
In a related development, the work of the reconciliation committee led by former Osun State Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, is being hampered by a lack of funds and the absence of key leaders, according to findings by our correspondent.
The 25-member reconciliation committee was established to visit all six geopolitical zones.
However, more than three months after its formation, and despite the ongoing crisis within the party, it has only visited the South-West.
On October 9, Oyinlola’s peace panel concluded its visit to the South-West and later met with a few members of Damagum’s NWC on October 22.
Since then, the committee has been inactive, despite the ongoing issues within the party.
In response to our correspondent’s inquiry about the committee’s activities, a member expressed frustration, stating that the committee’s efforts were being hindered by a shortage of funds and the unavailability of concerned party leaders.
The source stated, “What I can tell you is that the work of the committee has been hindered due to funds. It is not easy to travel around. The committee has not been given the necessary support, and there are not enough funds for logistics, so we have to use a simpler strategy.
“Remember, we have only completed the South-West visit. We also met with the NWC and members of the National Assembly. There is still a lot of ground to cover, but we can’t proceed as expected because of limited resources.
“As a matter of fact, some of us are also not happy. Even in the places and meetings we have had with some stakeholders, leaders who have issues that genuinely need reconciliation did not show up. They either refused to come or were unavailable. So, I fear this committee may not achieve its set goals because the people involved are not willing to come forward and be open with the committee.”
Another source, confirmed that the committee’s activities were halted because of a series of funerals.
A member of the committee and the PDP Board of Trustees said the committee’s work was in progress as planned.
He noted, ‘’Nothing is hindering the reconciliation committee from doing its work. The committee resolved to visit the zones first before moving to the national level and thus carried out a successful tour of the South-West.
“Immediately after the South- West visit, the committee was planning to go to the South- East when the crisis in the NWC erupted. So, we suspended the South- East tour and focused on reconciling the NWC, which we successfully did.
“We couldn’t go to the South-East immediately because of the burial of Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, which was a global event in the zone. We are now making arrangements to move to another zone after the burial of the late wife of the Akwa Ibom Governor. So, as you can see, the committee’s work is on course.”
Attempts to get a response from Oyinlola were unsuccessful, as his phone was unreachable. He also did not respond to our correspondent’s message.
Meanwhile, another member of the committee and former PDP National Vice Chairman (South), Eddy Olafeso, expressed confidence that the Oyinlola peace panel would address and resolve the issues affecting the party.
In an interview with The TheNigerian, Olafeso explained that he has been absent from the committee’s activities due to the Ondo State governorship election, noting that he was not aware of its plans.
“But no matter how long it will take, we will get there. The issues will be resolved by this committee, and our party will soon be reconciled,” Olafeso stated.
