Amid rising tensions and internal wrangling, governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are converging in Ibadan, Oyo State, for a high-stakes meeting aimed at salvaging Nigeria’s leading opposition party from what many insiders describe as “creeping disintegration.”
The two-day meeting, which began on Sunday and continues into Monday, is expected to be candid and decisive. Top on the agenda is the deepening political crisis in Rivers State, which has pitched Governor Siminalayi Fubara, also the Vice Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, against federal forces. The governors are also weighing the constitutional and political implications of the Supreme Court case over the declaration of a state of emergency and Fubara’s controversial suspension.
PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, confirmed the gathering, describing it as a crucial forum for addressing “pressing issues that threaten the party’s unity, credibility, and readiness for the 2027 general elections.”
At the heart of the current discontent is the Supreme Court’s March 21 ruling reinstating Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the party’s National Secretary. The decision invalidated the earlier endorsement of Sunday Ude-Okoye, the preferred candidate of the PDP governors. While both camps have since declared victory, the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment, now in the hands of the governors, is expected to shape the tone and outcome of discussions.
“This is not a time for niceties,” said a party insider familiar with the agenda. “The governors must be brutally honest with one another if the PDP is to stand a chance in 2027.”
The party’s leadership challenges are layered. The governors are expected to deliberate over the prolonged delay in convening the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings, disputes within the National Working Committee (NWC), and ongoing South-South zonal disagreements, all of which have weakened the PDP’s ability to present a cohesive front.
Another major talking point will be the growing push to form a united opposition bloc against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). While there is broad consensus on the need for collaboration, sources say ambition and poor coordination continue to stymie real progress.
Meanwhile, efforts to reposition the party are gathering steam. Prominent PDP elders including former Senate Presidents David Mark and Bukola Saraki, PDP Governors’ Forum Chairman Bala Mohammed, ex-Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido, and close allies of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar are reportedly in active consultations to chart a rescue path.
© Ripples Nigeria
