Isaac Samuel
In a move to stabilise its leadership structure ahead of the 2027 general elections, a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Sunday re-elected Abdulrahman Mohammed as national chairman alongside Samuel Anyanwu and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) at its national convention in Abuja.
The convention, held at the Velodrome of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, drew over 2,500 accredited delegates from across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with party leaders using the platform to push for unity, reconciliation and renewed commitment to the PDP’s ideals amid lingering internal divisions.
Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitored the exercise, which culminated in the endorsement of a 22-member NWC through a consensus arrangement.
Mohammed was returned as national chairman, while Anyanwu emerged as national secretary. .
Other key figures elected include Aaron Chukwuemeka as Deputy National Chairman (South) and Yusuf Akirikwen as Deputy National Chairman (North), following a major reshuffle that saw Umar Damagum stepped down from his position as factional national chairman to assume the role of Deputy National Chairman (North).
Kolawale Olabisi was elected Deputy National Secretary, while Opeyemi Oladiran and Lado Marke emerged as National Treasurer and Deputy National Treasurer, respectively.
Eyim Henry was elected National Financial Secretary, with Grema Kyari as deputy, while Umar Bature and Efere Augustine emerged as National Organising Secretary and Deputy National Organising Secretary.
Jungudo Mohammed clinched the position of National Publicity Secretary, alongside Egwu Chidiebere as deputy.
In the legal unit, Kamaldeen Ajibade was elected National Legal Adviser, with Aloysius Uba as deputy, while Osuoha Donatus and Adaba Yatu emerged as National Auditor and Deputy National Auditor.
Professor Ogunshe Adedayo was elected National Women Leader, with Hauwa Shinge as deputy, while Ibrahim Aboki and Eugene Momoh-Dejih emerged as National Youth Leader and Deputy National Youth Leader, respectively.
The newly constituted NWC is expected to steer the affairs of the party for the next four years.
The consensus arrangement followed a motion moved by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda, and seconded by Usman Ahmed, paving the way for a smooth adoption of the new leadership.
Earlier, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) moved a motion for the dissolution of the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Caretaker Working Committee and the ratification of congresses conducted across several states.
The motion, seconded by Zainab Baku, received unanimous support from delegates.
The convention also ratified ward, local government and state congresses conducted in states including Abia, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Cross River, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kwara, Kogi, Ogun, Osun, Nasarawa, Niger and Rivers, as well as the FCT.
Zonal congresses in the North-East, South-South and North-Central regions were equally endorsed.
Speaking at the convention, prominent party stakeholders, including former Senate President Bukola Saraki, former governors Sule Lamido (Jigawa) and Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), former Senate Minority Leader Abdul Ningi, and ex-national chairman Ahmed Makarfi, stressed the need for reconciliation and unity within the party.
They urged members to close ranks and rebuild trust as the PDP prepares to reposition itself as a viable opposition force.
In his remarks, Wike declared that the PDP has been taken back by loyal members, blasting defectors and asserting control of the party.
He also took a swipe at opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
His words: “Today (yesterday) marks the rebirth of our party in a new form. Today (yesterday) is the birth of a united party, ready to move forward. We have seen the convention monitored by the electoral umpire which also tells you the importance of this gathering.”
He said: “Leadership is not easy. It requires courage, firmness and commitment. What we have seen, some governors leaving, only shows a lack of leadership. When crises arise, true leaders stand and resolve them; they do not run away.
“More importantly, we have reclaimed and returned the party to its rightful owners, the people.”
While he urged aggrieved members who the PDP to return to the fold, he appealed that they return, but on the basis of unity and discipline.
He said: “Our brothers and sisters who may have left should return and join us in rebuilding this party for the collective good. No one will be excluded; everyone will have an opportunity to serve in unity and in law.
“What you have seen happening, the actions of a faction of some governors who have walked away, only shows that they lack a sense of leadership.
“I liken them to the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party. That candidate was given a platform by the Labour Party to pursue the presidency, yet when a crisis arose within the party, it was precisely the moment leadership was required. Instead of stepping forward to resolve the problems, he could not, and failed to provide that leadership.
“In the same way, when our governors were seeking a platform to become governors, they found one and achieved their ambition. But when crises emerged, and it was time to demonstrate leadership, vision, and courage, they ran away. That tells you who can truly stand firm in difficult times.
“It is like a family: when you have a wife, or wives, and there are problems in your household, you do not abandon your family. You remain there and work to resolve the issues. That is why I thank all of you for your commitment. You have shown leadership, real leadership.
Earlier in is speech, the party’s Acting National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, urged members to put aside personal interests and focus on rebuilding the party.
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He said: “No ambition is greater than this party. No office is worth the weakening of this platform.
“The recent judicial developments must not be seen as victory for some and defeat for others. Rather, they must remind us that institutions must be guided by law and that no party can endure outside constitutional order.
“We choose inclusiveness over exclusion. We choose unity over division. We choose renewal over decline,” the PDP chairman said.
Former Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, warned that the party must urgently reconcile its internal divisions or risk collapse, as it moves to elect a new leadership at a crucial national convention.
Similarly, former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, yesterday, urged aggrieved PDP members to return, calling for unity and a renewed commitment to the national interest.
“I want to speak to you from the standpoint of the history of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Nigeria. I have listened to all the speakers, and I heard the chairman say we should reflect. Indeed, we should reflect.
“Where was the PDP in 1998? What lay before the PDP in 1998? What were the vision, the dream, and the wisdom of the founders of the PDP, our fathers?” he asked.
Lamido recalled that the party was formed at a critical period following the crisis triggered by the annulment of the June 12 1993 presidential election, which heightened divisions across the country.
“In 1998, the main challenge before the PDP was national unity, especially in the aftermath of the events of June 12. In their wisdom, the leaders came together,” he said. Lamido, who urged defectors to return, described the PDP as a political home with deep roots across the country.
Anyanwu on his part underscored the importance of continuity and legitimacy in the party’s leadership, declaring that he remains in custody of the PDP’s original certificate and other legal instruments.
“I want to show you that I have the original copy of the PDP certificate,” he said, describing himself as a bridge between the 2021 NWC and the current leadership.
He acknowledged that the party had faced internal wrangling, legal disputes and structural challenges since 2021, but noted that it had managed its finances responsibly despite court-ordered restrictions on some of its accounts.
Anyanwu also commended Mohammed’s leadership, describing him as resilient in navigating what he called one of the most turbulent periods in the PDP’s history.
He, however, urged party members to embrace unity, stressing that the PDP remains a “movement for democracy, progress and the Nigerian dream.”
