The lingering leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cast doubt on whether the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting will be held as scheduled in February 2025.
Despite reassurances from the party’s National Secretary, Sam Anyanwu, that the NEC meeting will proceed as planned, factional divisions within the National Working Committee (NWC) and ongoing legal challenges remain significant obstacles.
Anyanwu, whose position is currently being contested by Sunday Ude-Okoye recently declared the substantive PDP National Secretary by the Court of Appeal told the Nigerian Tribune on Sunday that the NWC will meet to set a date for the NEC meeting.
However, he did not specify when the NWC meeting would take place.
The deepening rift among key stakeholders raises concerns about the party’s ability to convene and effectively deliberate.
Although the party reopened its national secretariat on January 13 after the Christmas and New Year holidays, the NWC has been unable to hold its weekly meetings due to the dispute surrounding the office of the National Secretary.
The NEC meeting, initially scheduled for October 2024 and later rescheduled for November 2024 before being postponed indefinitely, is considered crucial for addressing key issues affecting the party.
These include reviewing the leadership structure, resolving internal conflicts, and formulating strategies for upcoming elections.
At the center of the leadership crisis is acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, whose position has been a source of controversy.
Calls for his resignation, particularly from the PDP Governors Forum have intensified amid allegations of indecisiveness and an inability to bridge the growing divisions within the party.
Efforts have been made to facilitate Damagum’s exit through political solutions, including the possibility of nominating a new chairman from the North Central region.
Factional struggles have further complicated the party’s internal dynamics, with competing camps loyal to prominent figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
These divisions have made consensus-building challenging and have fueled suspensions and counter-suspensions among party officials.
Legal challenges also loom large, as multiple court orders regarding the legitimacy of Damagum’s position add another layer of complexity to the party’s decision-making process.
Amid these challenges, Anyanwu has downplayed the severity of the crisis, describing it as a “disagreement that you can find in any human setting.”
While his optimism may aim to reassure party members and supporters, critics argue that the NWC’s inability to meet underscores the gravity of the situation.
As the highest decision-making body of the party, the NEC meeting, if it takes place is expected to address key issues such as constitutional amendments, electoral strategies, party unity, and policy direction.
However, failure to resolve the ongoing leadership crisis and factional disputes could hinder the party’s preparations for upcoming elections and its ability to present a united front to the electorate.
With the February 2025 date approaching, stakeholders worry that the PDP faces a critical test of its capacity to overcome internal challenges and chart a cohesive path forward.
A senior party member told the Nigerian Tribunethat without decisive efforts to tackle the root causes of its internal divisions, the PDP risks further fragmentation and a decline in its electoral prospects.
Nonetheless, National Secretary Sam Anyanwu remains confident, dismissing claims of division within the party.
“I don’t know anything about division. In any organization, there is bound to be disagreement. What we have in the PDP is just that disagreement. We agree to disagree and disagree to agree. That’s all I can say on the matter,” he stated.(Nigerian Tribune)
