As the countdown to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention intensifies, some of the party’s most influential leaders have issued a six-point directive to the National Working Committee (NWC), underscoring the need for fairness, inclusivity, and adherence to judicial rulings.
The resolutions emerged from a high-powered stakeholders’ meeting held Monday night at the residence of the Federal Capital Territory Minister and former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, in Abuja.
Present at the meeting were former Benue State Governor Dr. Samuel Ortom, ex-Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose, former Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and PDP National Secretary Senator Sam Anyanwu.
In a communiqué issued early Tuesday and signed by Ortom, the leaders warned that failure to comply with their demands would “render any purported national convention invalid, as legitimate members of the party would be disenfranchised.”
The six demands include:
Conduct fresh congresses in Ebonyi and Anambra states in strict compliance with existing court judgments.
Urgently hold a new South East Zonal Congress.
Respect the outcome of the South South Congress in Calabar, already upheld by the courts.
Conduct Ekiti LGA congresses in accordance with judicial pronouncements.
Avoid micro-zoning of offices beyond the general zoning formula adopted by the National Executive Committee (NEC) to maintain peace and stability.
Ensure that the national chairmanship position remains in the North Central, consistent with the zoning arrangement of the 2021 convention.
The communiqué emphasized that the PDP is at a “defining crossroads,” cautioning that attempts to sideline members or ignore court rulings would deepen divisions. “Unity cannot be built on disenfranchisement, exclusion, or the neglect of valid judicial pronouncements,” it stated, adding that only transparency and fairness would guarantee a credible convention.
The leaders urged the PDP to rise above narrow interests, stressing that the party’s foundation of inclusivity, fairness, and justice must guide its internal processes to reclaim its position as Nigeria’s leading opposition party.
