PDP: Fresh crisis looms
Senior party leaders, zonal chairmen, others kick against Lagos meeting of Southern leaders led by Oyo gov, Makinde
By Babs Oyetoro
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is once again sliding into turbulence as Southern leaders clash over a consultative meeting on zoning held in Lagos, exposing deep fissures ahead of the party’s crucial National Executive Committee (NEC) session and November national convention.
On Thursday, a group of senior party stakeholders, including zonal chairmen, state party chairmen, senators, and members of the House of Representatives from the South-East and South-South, rejected outright the Lagos meeting spearheaded by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, describing it as “illegal, exclusionary, and conceived in bad faith.”
In a joint statement by Imo PDP chairman, Austin Nwachukwu; Abia chairman, Abraham Amah; Cross River chairman, Venatius Ikem; Akwa Ibom chairman, Aniekan Akpan; and Rivers chairman, Aaron Chukwuemeka, alongside other prominent figures, the dissenting leaders warned that no resolutions from the Lagos parley would be binding on the PDP family in the South.
They accused the conveners of deliberately shutting out critical stakeholders, including national officers, state chairmen, and elected leaders, thereby undermining the spirit of inclusivity and collective decision-making on which the PDP prides itself.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we categorically dismiss any resolutions, communiqués, or outcomes purportedly emanating from this meeting as neither binding on nor reflective of the collective will and aspirations of the PDP family across Southern Nigeria,” the statement read.
They further warned the NEC and the National Working Committee (NWC) to ignore the Lagos deliberations, insisting that any attempt to legitimise the outcomes would deepen division.
“More particularly, the said summit is premature and targeted at protecting the interest and selfish ambition of a select few, as the Zoning Committee set up by the 101st NEC is yet to present its report for ratification,” they argued.
Governor Makinde, however, defended the meeting, stressing that it was consultative and that NEC remains the final arbiter on zoning decisions. Addressing journalists after the Lagos session, he dismissed insinuations that the parley was designed to ambush the party’s zoning process.
“This is about listening to one another and preparing our positions ahead of NEC. Nobody can impose decisions. NEC, which is meeting on Monday, will take the final decision. We must be focused on unity and not reduce ourselves to gutter fights,” Makinde said.
He underscored the need for inclusivity but maintained that southern leaders could not remain silent in the build-up to the convention.
*Bode George: Consultations serve party’s interest
Elder statesman and PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) member, Chief Olabode George, also threw his weight behind the Lagos meeting.
Speaking at the event, he insisted that such consultations were not only legitimate but essential for stabilising the party.
George argued that the PDP could not afford to drift aimlessly, given the urgency of reorganising for 2027.
According to him, the Lagos parley was convened in the interest of the party to collate views and strengthen southern voices before the NEC session.
“We are not here for personal ambition. We are here because the survival of the PDP demands unity, dialogue, and consensus. If we fail to consult, we fail to prepare. This is in the interest of our party,” George said.
He called on those disowning the parley to put the party first, stressing that internal disagreements should not derail broader rebuilding efforts.
*South-South bloc aligns with Wike
Despite these assurances, the Wike-aligned bloc of South-South leaders has maintained stiff opposition, branding the Lagos parley a deliberate ploy to sideline their interests.
The group, which includes vocal figures from Rivers and its neighbouring states, insists that only the official Zoning Committee inaugurated by acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, has the mandate to recommend zoning formulas.
To them, the Lagos exercise is an attempt to pre-empt the committee’s report and impose a fait accompli in the broader party structure.
The controversy comes at a sensitive time for the PDP. Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State chairs the zoning committee mandated to gather views and present a report to NEC.
That committee is expected to brief NEC at its scheduled meeting on Monday, August 25, where the party’s leadership will deliberate on zoning formulas ahead of the national convention fixed for November 15–16 in Ibadan.
The outcome will shape the distribution of national offices and set the tone for PDP’s preparation for the 2027 general election.
Analysts note that the latest rift underscores the PDP’s enduring challenge of trust among its factions.
Since the fallout from the 2022 primaries and the “G-5 rebellion” led by Nyesom Wike, the party has struggled to reconcile competing regional blocs.
The Lagos meeting, and the backlash it provoked, highlights how fragile unity remains in the party’s southern caucus.
For now, the PDP faces a test of whether it can navigate its internal contradictions without descending into another bruising crisis.
While Makinde and George defend the Lagos meeting as part of healthy consultation, dissenting chairmen and lawmakers see it as an illegitimate bid to hijack the zoning process.
