Prominent leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, have rolled out tough conditions for the party’s forthcoming national convention, warning that any attempt to ignore them could render the exercise invalid.
The leaders, who met late Monday night in Abuja under the banner of Eminent Leaders and Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP, demanded the retention of the 2021 zoning arrangement, stressing that the National Chairman of the party must remain in the North-Central for the sake of stability and equity.
Reading the communique at the end of the meeting, former Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, said the group resolved that fresh congresses must be urgently conducted in the South-East, Ebonyi, Anambra, and at the local government level in Ekiti State. They also insisted that the outcome of the South-South congress held in Calabar earlier this year—which was already recognised by a court—must be respected by the National Working Committee (NWC).
The PDP stakeholders declared that the survival and future relevance of the opposition party hinged on fairness, inclusivity, and adherence to judicial pronouncements, stressing that “unity cannot be built on disenfranchisement or exclusion.”
“Consequently, the National Chairman of the party should remain in the North-Central in line with the zoning formula of the 2021 convention,” the communique stated, adding that any attempt at micro-zoning would undermine peace within the party.
Those present at the Abuja meeting included the FCT Minister, PDP National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives Kingsley Chinda, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly Martins Amaewhule, as well as former governors Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ortom (Benue), Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu). Also in attendance were PDP state chairmen from Abia, Benue, FCT, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers States, alongside other serving and former lawmakers.
The stakeholders maintained that only a transparent and credible convention would restore confidence in the PDP and reposition it as the “true alternative” for Nigerians. They warned that any breach of the resolutions would amount to disenfranchising legitimate members, thereby undermining the legitimacy of the national convention.
“The PDP was built on the foundation of inclusivity, fairness, and justice. To reclaim its pride of place as the leading opposition, the party must now rise above narrow interests and embrace collective responsibility,” the communique stressed.
The group pledged loyalty to the PDP but vowed to hold its leaders accountable to ensure that the upcoming convention becomes “a watershed moment where unity triumphs over division and justice prevails over impunity.”
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