PDP Internal Crisis Deepens As Leaders, Governors Battle For Control Ahead 2027

The battle for supremacy in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has further plunged the main opposition party into crisis, stalling efforts for peace.

The dismissal of the party’s petition against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Supreme Court has led to infighting over the party’s control between PDP leaders and governors ahead of the 2027 elections.

PDP leaders and governors have started scheming on how to take control of the party machinery to feather their political nests.

According to Daily Sun, the move to oust Senator Samuel Anyanwu as PDP national secretary by some leaders in the South East is part of an ongoing battle to control the party.

The platform also claims that the plot against Anyanwu, which is reportedly led by the National Vice Chairman (South East), Ali Odefa, also raises suspicion that there may be a crack in the G-5, led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, especially when both men bear allegiance to members of the group. Odefa is a loyalist of the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, while the embattled PDP national secretary is an ally of the FCT minister.

NEC Meeting

Speaking on the crisis, a former PDP presidential aspirant, Cosmas Ndukwe, said that leaders of the opposition party were engaged in a dispute on who would be the national chairman and national secretary of the party.

He said: “The problem in the PDP is still widening by the day. They are arguing over who should be the national chairman and who would not be. The camp that will produce the national chairman, and the camp will not produce the national chairman. The camp that will produce the secretary and if the secretary that left to contest in Imo State should stay or not stay.”

It was also gathered that the PDP has been unable to hold its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting due to the power tussle.

A top party source told Daily Sun that Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, whose duty is to convene a NEC meeting, is afraid to do so because of the likely outcome.

“The acting chairman cannot even call for NEC, as provided in the party constitution, because he cannot predict how things will turn out if NEC meets,” the party chieftain said.

Court Cases

When contacted, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, dismissed reports of any crisis, adding that the party cannot hold its NEC meeting during litigation over the outcome of the 2023 polls.

He said: “The NWC is united, and we are focused on issues. And we want to play the role of opposition, which we all need because it is in the interest of democracy.

“The point is that when it (PDP constitution) says that NEC should meet at least once in three months, it is in the expectation that things will be normal in circumstances.

“If an election has taken place and the election has not been that contestable as it was, then there would not have been those provisions for court processes… At the appropriate time, there will be a NEC meeting.”