PDP leaders draw battle lines, list conditions ahead of National Convention

…demand fresh congresses in Ebonyi, Anambra, South-East

…reject micro-zoning

Leaders and stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have drawn a red line for the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), insisting that unless certain critical conditions are met, the forthcoming National Convention would be deemed invalid.

Rising from a high-powered meeting in Abuja on early Tuesday morning, the Eminent Leaders and Concerned Stakeholders of the party, in a communiqué read by former Benue State Governor, Mr Samuel Ortom, warned that the survival and relevance of the PDP hinged on equity, justice, inclusivity, and respect for the rule of law.

The leaders, which included serving and former governors, ministers, National Assembly members, and members of the Board of Trustees, said the PDP was at a “defining crossroads” where internal reconciliation and fairness would determine its future as Nigeria’s leading opposition party.

They demanded that fresh, transparent, and court-compliant congresses be conducted in Ebonyi and Anambra States, alongside a fresh South-East Zonal Congress. They further insisted that the results of the South-South Congress held in Calabar, already validated by the courts, must be respected.

The communiqué also called for the immediate conduct of the Ekiti State Local Government Areas Congress in obedience to subsisting court judgments, stressing that no legitimate member of the party should be disenfranchised.

On zoning, the stakeholders affirmed their support for the zoning committee’s recommendations adopted by the National Executive Committee (NEC), which maintained the status quo. However, they categorically rejected any attempt at micro-zoning, arguing that such a move would destabilize the party ahead of the convention.

According to them, the position of National Chairman must remain in the North-Central in line with the zoning formula of the 2021 convention, as anything contrary would violate the party’s long-standing tradition of fairness and balance.

Warning of grave consequences, the leaders cautioned that failure to comply with their resolutions and demands would render any purported National Convention illegitimate, with the risk of further polarizing the party.

“The PDP was built on the foundation of inclusivity, fairness, and justice. To reclaim its pride of place as the true alternative for Nigerians, the party must rise above narrow interests and embrace collective responsibility,” the communiqué stated.

In attendance at the Abuja meeting were former governors Samuel Ortom, Nyesom Wike, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Okezie Ikpeazu, and Ayodele Fayose, as well as PDP National Secretary, Sam Anyanwu. Other stakeholders present included Senator Phillips Tanimu Aduda, Hon. Micah Jiba, some members of the National Assembly, and members of the PDP Board of Trustees.