The fragile unity within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was put to the test on Tuesday as governors elected on the party’s platform openly declared readiness to “flex their muscles” to defend the integrity of the opposition, even as the camp of former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, issued fresh conditions that could determine the validity of the forthcoming national convention.

At the inauguration of the 2025 National Convention Organising Committee in Abuja, Bauchi State Governor and Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Bala Mohammed, warned that the era of impunity and arrogance within the party was over, stressing that governors would not allow the PDP to be taken for granted.

“The time has come when we must flex our muscles. We are not cowards, and we are not afraid of anybody,” Mohammed declared.

“We cannot continue to take part and allow people to take us to the slaughterhouse. Enough is enough. Consensus cannot mean stupidity. If anybody wants to become a member of a faction of fools, we will allow him to go and do it,” he added.

Speaking in the same vein, PDP National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, said he had exercised restraint in the face of provocations, not as a sign of weakness, but as a sacrifice to preserve the stability of the party.

“At critical moments, I chose restraint, not out of weakness, but as a conscious sacrifice for the survival and stability of our party,” Damagum said.

“The PDP is not broken, it is not defeated. It is marching forward, stronger and more determined to reclaim the presidency in 2027,” he said

The ceremony, which saw the inauguration of Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, as Chairman of the Convention Organising Committee, was attended by party leaders, including members of the Board of Trustees (BoT), National Working Committee (NWC), and other stakeholders.

Fintiri pledged to deliver “a credible and better convention in Ibadan” that would set the PDP on course for electoral victory in 2027.

However, while party leaders projected confidence at the Abuja event, the Wike-led bloc met behind closed doors on Monday night and into the early hours of Tuesday, issuing a communiqué that rejected the micro-zoning of NWC positions as approved by the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) the previous week.

The group, comprising the PDP National Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu, and former governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), insisted that the national chairmanship must remain in the North-Central in line with the 2021 zoning arrangement.

The communiqué, signed under the platform of “Eminent Leaders and Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP,” listed further conditions for a valid convention, including immediate congresses in Ebonyi and Anambra states in compliance with court rulings, a fresh South-East zonal congress, recognition of the valid South-South congress held in Calabar, and the conduct of outstanding Ekiti local government congresses.

“The PDP stands at a defining crossroads where its ability to reconcile disputes and uphold equity will determine its relevance,” the communiqué read. “Any convention that disenfranchises legitimate members will lack validity.”

The group warned that failure to meet its demands would render the convention illegitimate, even as it reaffirmed loyalty to the PDP while calling for unity anchored on fairness and inclusivity.

The fresh conditions may set the stage for another round of internal contestations as the party prepares for its elective national convention, scheduled to take place in Ibadan, Oyo State, from November 15 to 16, 2025.

The recent developments occur just a week after the PDP’s NEC maintained its zoning arrangement, with the presidency allocated to the South in 2027, while national offices stay in their current regions. However, the NEC directive that regions should micro-zone positions within their blocs has now become a new point of disagreement, increasing tensions ahead of the convention.