The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has scheduled a high-level meeting for May 11 with its governors to address growing internal cracks, recent defections, and leadership issues threatening the party’s stability.
A senior National Working Committee (NWC) member told The Punch that the talks would focus on stemming further defections, resolving the dispute over the office of National Secretary, and other pressing concerns.
This follows the defection of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who both joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) alongside several Delta PDP lawmakers on April 23.
“We concluded that their actions were motivated by personal interests,” the NWC member said. “The party leadership has treated them fairly, so their defection came as a surprise.”
The source said a consensus was reached to meet with PDP governors to “further deliberate on the defections.”
On the National Secretary issue, the NWC agreed to adopt the governors’ recommendation but acknowledged that the matter remains complicated due to a Supreme Court ruling favouring Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
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Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, speaking to reporters in Abuja after the party’s 600th NWC meeting, said, “The fortune of this party cannot be just left in the hands of our adversaries… we will take legal action to retrieve those mandates.”
Damagum also warned party loyalists against citing disunity as an excuse to defect. “If somebody is looking for an excuse in order to justify whatever stupidity he wants to do, he should not say the party is divided. The party is intact.”
He reaffirmed the party’s unity and resilience: “No amount of intimidation or mischief can bring down this party. It has survived all sorts of machinations in the past, and this one is just child’s play.”
He also confirmed that the NWC had endorsed all recommendations from the PDP Governors Forum, including backing Setonji Koshoedo as acting National Secretary, and will forward them to the National Executive Committee meeting set for May 27. A National Convention is being proposed for late August.
Meanwhile, Damagum announced that a caretaker committee led by Chief Emmanuel Ogidi had been set up to restructure the party in Delta State.
Asked if PDP would sanction members openly supporting President Bola Tinubu, Damagum replied, “Yes, very well.”