Governors elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are to take position on the National Secretary and National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party as they meet in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Sunday (today).
According to an insider who spoke to Sunday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, the governors will also discuss matters relating the Rivers State emergency rule, and address key issues impacting both the country and the party.
The governors are meeting three weeks after the Supreme Court returned Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the party against their favoured Sunday Ude-Okoye.
On 21 March, the apex court set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, delivered on 28 December 2024, which had affirmed Anyanwu’s removal as the National Secretary of the party.
The judgment left the PDP leadership and members in disarray, as both parties in the suit — Anyanwu and Udeh-Okoye — claimed victory. They issued separate statements declaring victory immediately after the verdict.
The NEC meeting of the party has also been postponed more than three times, a move that generated disagreements between the PDP governors, the National Working Committee and the Board of Trustees.
PDP has been grappling with internal conflicts both before and after the 2023 elections, resulting in growing instability and division within the party.
Es part of continuous measures to reposition the party, the PDP governors are set to meet in Ibadan today.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, confirmed that the PDP Governors Forum’s meeting is scheduled to hold in Ibadan on Sunday to Monday.
In a statement, Ologunagba disclosed that, ‘The PDP Governor’s Forum meeting scheduled to hold in Ibadan, Oyo State on Sunday, 13 and Monday, 14 April 2025’.
The insider who is a senior member of the party, told Sunday PUNCH that the governors were expected to take a stance on the Supreme Court ruling regarding the National Secretary and also discuss the upcoming NEC meeting.
He said the governors will also address the crisis rocking the party in the South-South.
‘The meeting is very crucial. The governors are expected to be frank with each other, discuss issues, and take proactive steps to preserve the PDP.
‘Part of their agenda includes the Supreme Court judgment on the National Secretary, the upcoming National Executive Committee meeting, the South-South zonal leadership crisis, the state of emergency in Rivers State, the leadership crisis within the NWC, and other party matters that will be thoroughly discussed.
‘They must decide on critical issues in that meeting to save the party, as many members are tired of the prolonged crises. Their resolutions and the actions that follow will play a significant role in preventing defections and determining the future of the PDP’, he said.
In related development, the former Senate Presidents David Mark and Bukola Saraki, Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, along with former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, and ally of ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, have joined forces with others to rescue the PDP from potential collapse due to its ongoing internal crisis.
A very credible source informed Sunday PUNCH that the PDP leaders convened in Abuja during the week and agreed on steps to reposition the party.
According to the source, who had knowledge of the meeting, they also discussed strategies to dissuade members—particularly governors—from leaving the party.
The source disclosed that other party leaders who attended the meeting included PDP BoT Secretary, Ahmed Makarfi, former Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal, former Minister of Police Affairs, Adamu Waziri, and former Minister of Defence Lawal Batagarawa.
According to the source, the PDP governors were represented by their Chairman, Mohammed, and Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, at the strategic meeting.
He stated that they agreed on the importance of engaging with other party members to secure their support, reaching out to all dissatisfied factions, and restructuring the party’s leadership during the upcoming national convention.
The source stated, In a bid to prevent the party’s collapse, Mark, Saraki, Lamido, and other PDP leaders came together and agreed on a plan to reposition the PDP. They all decided to rebuild the PDP. And the leaders briefed the governors on their plan to achieve that aim. They also want the Govs to work towards the same aim. They resolved that there is no need to abandon the party and be working on any coalition.
‘Instead of putting in efforts to start a coalition, it was resolved that they should use the same resources, time and strategy to rebuild PDP. They noted that all the parties with no exception have their challenges and internal crisis. Thus, PDP leaders should work to reconcile the differences and rebuild their structure instead of seeking any new platform.
‘To preserve the party, they will meet with various stakeholders to persuade them to remain committed to the PDP, resolve all issues, avoid defection, and begin preparations to elect new NWC members to lead the party through the upcoming national convention later in the year’.
Commenting on the various meetings, members of the PDP National Executive Committee, including the Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, and the immediate past Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Diran Odeyemi, welcomed the development.
They highlighted the importance of more PDP leaders stepping up to help reposition the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
In an exclusive interview with Sunday PUNCH, Osadolor expressed optimism that, given the calibre of governors and other leaders within the PDP, the ongoing crisis would soon be resolved.
He stated, “This is a welcome development. The party has prominent figures like Bukola Saraki, David Mark, Lamido, the Governors and many more. It is clear that the party does not lack elders, so as a PDP member, I feel fortunate to hear that respected figures within the party and the governors are willing to address the numerous issues affecting the party’s fortunes.
‘I am convinced that with these leaders and the collective efforts of others, the party will make significant progress. The party is already on the right track, and many of the issues will be resolved.
‘We have seen the coordination in terms of discipline. While no party has reached a perfect state just yet, compared to where we were, we have made significant progress. We are not out of the woods completely, but we are much further along than before. Any further efforts to help us progress are welcomed’.
In his comment, Odeyemi stated that the governors and other leaders’ efforts to rescue the PDP were long overdue.
‘We can only continue to wish the party the best and hope that all the leaders recognise that peace and unity are the keys to success in 2027 against the APC’, he stated.
Odeyemi added, ‘In politics, there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests. If the collective and permanent interest is for the party to win the presidential election, governorship elections, and the majority of senate and House seats, then the best course of action is unity. If they have just realized this, it’s a good sign.
‘Nothing is impossible. Some may want to leave the party because of the current crisis. But if peace and tranquility are guaranteed, everyone will return to the PDP, because the party they might join has even more problems, though they may not be as openly acknowledged as those in PDP. No political party is entirely at peace. So, what you’re trying to escape from in the PDP, you’ll find even more of in other parties’.
