November 6th , 2025

COMMENDING THE PDP BoT’S BOLD STEPS TO RESTORE PEACE AND UNITY WITHIN THE PARTY

BOD’ ORIADE

The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), after its emergency meeting held on November 5, 2025, resolved to bring all contending sides together before party’s National Convention; through dialogue, reconciliation, and unity.

This decisive step by the BoT is highly commendable, as it aligns perfectly with our consistent advocacy for peace and unity through genuine reconciliation, the only pathway to rescue the PDP from its present malaise.

However, while the BoT seeks peace, some vested interests still appear determined to perpetuate disunity within the party. This was subtly reflected in portions of the communiqué that followed the meeting; laden with extraneous materials that contradicted the sincere and reconciliatory spirit captured in the BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara’s presentation.

It is clear that the BoT has chosen the path of peace. We therefore give kudos to the PDP BoT and encourage them to remain objective, resolute, and faithful to their role as the conscience of the party. Unlike many pessimists, we firmly believe that the PDP is redeemable.

The BoT, comprising all past and serving PDP Presidents and Vice Presidents, National Chairmen, Deputy National Chairmen, National Secretaries, principal members of the National Assembly (past and serving), and other founding members, truly represents the soul and conscience of the PDP.

Before the main meeting, the BoT was briefed by the PDP National Chairman, His Excellency, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagun, who provided context for deliberations. He explained that his genuine intentions, sacrifices, and concessions were misunderstood. Damagun urged BoT members to be fair, put the PDP first, and reconcile all warring sides to move the party forward.

In his presentation, the BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, acknowledged that the party faces serious and protracted challenges, yet reaffirmed his belief in the PDP’s resilience. According to him, the PDP remains the strongest political party in Nigeria, one that has withstood all trials and tribulations.

Senator Wabara reiterated that reconciliation is the only true pathway to rebuilding cohesion within the PDP. He pledged that the BoT, with the support of other organs of the party, would reconcile all aggrieved sides before a national convention is held.

In recent times, the PDP has been besieged by recurring leadership tussles, instigated by some who seek to control the party’s structure for selfish ends, thereby weakening its electoral potential ahead of the 2027 general elections. Hence, we wonder why the hurry to conduct a national convention without adequate consultation or inclusion of other critical stakeholders.

Fortunately, a genuine new momentum has begun to emerge within the PDP, a reformist force led from the North, aimed at repositioning the party for greater strength and victory in 2027. If nurtured properly, this movement will breathe new life into the PDP, cover existing lapses, and reengineer the party to thrive again.

This development is already changing the dynamics within the PDP, and by extension, Nigeria’s political landscape. The renewed optimism is palpable: those who once doubted are now realigning, while former defectors are reconsidering their return.The momentum is real, and the tide is rising in favour of a revitalized PDP.

With the endorsement of Barrister Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, as the Northern consensus candidate for National Chairman, the North has demonstrated readiness, unity, and political decorum. This singular act has brightened the PDP’s prospects and stabilized its future.

The challenge now lies in the South of the PDP. The Southern bloc has yet to present a united front or reach consensus on critical issues. Efforts by elders and youth alike to bridge internal divides and rally aggrieved leaders toward reconciliation have not yielded tangible results.

Meanwhile, some PDP governors appear to be mortgaging the party, seeking to control PDP structures only to later defect to the APC. Shockingly, about 60 percent of delegates expected at the proposed National Convention are loyal to already-defected governors. Many of their proxies remain embedded within PDP structures nationwide.

This poses a grave question: How can the BoT root out these moles from the party’s fabric? And with the proposed National Convention scheduled for next week, how much time truly remains to achieve the reconciliation the BoT has promised?

Furthermore, why the rush? Why the insistence on holding a convention without adequate inclusion of all stakeholders? Is PDP truly building unity, or alienating its own members for political convenience? Can we still trust the process? Is Abuja now a safer, more neutral ground than Ibadan for an unbiased national convention? These questions demand honest answers from party leaders.

We have remained silent, though not detached, trusting that decorum would prevail. But each passing day reveals hardened postures from those who owe their rise to the PDP yet now seek its downfall. It is time for the PDP to review and enforce its constitution: when a governor defects, his party structures must revert to the people. In the PDP, power should truly belong to the people.

For leaders waiting for a mythical moment of 100 percent peace in PDP before taking action, let it be clear: no political system in the world enjoys complete harmony. Politics is turbulence defined. If you can’t stand the heat, step out of the kitchen.

With the new momentum from the North, the PDP is poised to rise again, while the South is expected to close ranks and join the rebuild. There are no irreconcilable differences in politics, only when leaders opt for deliberate sabotage.

We therefore call on the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, His Excellency, Senator Bala Mohammed ; His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde; and His Excellency, the Honourable Minister of the FCT, Chief (Barr.) Nyesom Wike, to rise above personal differences, silence detractors, and demonstrate genuine commitment to peace, unity, and reconciliation within our great party.

So great, all our three leaders have benefited immensely from the PDP. The party must not be allowed to collapse under their watch. True leadership lies in rising above ego and fostering unity.

Let the party work collectively, like the North, to ensure that the South takes a clear and strategic position, consolidates its interests, and presents capable candidates, where necessary, at a national convention.

Once again, we commend the PDP BoT for its bold decision to champion reconciliation and rebuild the party. However, for genuine reconciliation to be effective, time is essential.

Therefore, we urge the BoT and other organs of the party not to be constrained by the proposed November 15–16 Ibadan Convention dates. There is still a short window of time between now and December to do a thorough and inclusive job.

The current PDP National Working Committee (NWC) was sworn in on December 10, 2021. There is no need for undue haste. Let’s take the time needed to salvage and rebuild the PDP, for the good of democracy and the future of Nigeria.