Only urgent NEC will avert implosion, PDP ex-officio members warn

•Back Mohammed-led PDPGF’s peace effort
•Damagum under pressure to allow Thursday’s NEC meeting

Piqued by the continuing internal tension within the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Conference of National Ex-Officio members of the party has insisted that only the convocation of an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting scheduled for October 24, 2024, will avert the looming implosion in the party.

This is coming on the heels of what the group described as an escalating crisis within the top leadership of the party, adding that failure to act fast could result in tension of incalculable consequences. The ex-officio members supported the peace effort of the PDP Governors Forum led by the Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed.

Meanwhile, critical stakeholders are intensifying pressure on the party’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, to ensure that the NEC meeting scheduled for Thursday is held.

The ex-officio members in a statement signed by Dr Yunana Ilya (North Central), Dr Nicholas Msheliza (North East), Madumere Chinemerem (South East), Patrick Agbe (South South), Faboyede Clement (South West) and Ibrahim Alhaji (North West) expressed worry over the deteriorating state of affairs in the PDP, highlighting what they called a “dangerous turn of events” that has the potential to destabilise the party.

The statement reads, “As an integral part of NEC of our great party, and one of its last bastions with the grassroots, who believe in the resurgence of our party’s popularity, we have critically brainstormed and dispassionately resolved, as a matter of urgency, to call on the party’s leadership to ensure that the NEC meeting scheduled for October 24, 2024, holds. This will afford members who are aggrieved the opportunity to be heard and their issues addressed.

“We have viewed with utter dismay and concern the dangerous turn of events within the top echelon of our party in recent times. These events tend to shake the very foundation of our party.”

They emphasised the need for a NEC meeting to provide a platform where aggrieved party members can voice their concerns and seek resolutions while throwing their weight behind ongoing peace initiatives aimed at restoring the party’s unity and strength.

They further made a case for the party to remain a credible alternative to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in future elections.

“Nigerians still believe that PDP is the only viable alternative to the failed Bola Tinubu-led APC administration,” they declared. PDP, once Nigeria’s ruling party, has faced numerous internal crises since its loss in the 2015 presidential election.

The party’s constitution mandates the National Chairman to convene NEC meetings once every quarter, a duty Damagum has yet to fulfil amid the ongoing internal crisis.

Many members are growing frustrated with his reluctance to approve the coming NEC meeting, raising concerns over a potential constitutional breach. Although the October 24 NEC meeting is listed on the party’s official calendar, anxiety is growing among party leaders and members who fear that Damagum may be deliberately stalling it.

Sources within the PDP suggest that Damagum’s hesitation stems from political manoeuvring regarding the party’s national chairmanship position. At the heart of the issue is a push to return the national chairmanship to the North Central region following the exit of Dr Iyorchia Ayu, the former chairman from Benue State.

According to the PDP’s constitution, the position should revert to the North Central. However, Damagum, from the North East, is reportedly reluctant to step down.

The debate over leadership has divided PDP governors, with some supporting Damagum’s continued leadership, while others, allegedly influenced by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, argue that only a national convention could decide the party’s leadership.

Wike’s camp is reportedly pushing for a broader resolution on the chairmanship issue, further complicating matters.The National Working Committee (NWC) appears divided on whether the NEC meeting should proceed as planned.

The split within the NWC mirrors the party’s broader leadership crisis, with factions issuing suspensions and counter-suspensions in recent weeks. Despite the internal rifts, some NWC members insist that the meeting must proceed as scheduled.