Ibadan convention: PDP govs bare fangs

• Say we are not cowards

• Warn ‘faction of fools’ to keep off

• As party inaugurates 119-member organising committee

• It’s sacrosanct —Damagum

• Wike, Fayose, Ortom, Ugwuanyi, others give conditions for party’s survival

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors on Tuesday dared some members threatening to scuttle the party’s November 15 National Elective Convention fixed for Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, warning that they are not cowards and fear nobody, no matter how highly-placed.

The governors took the stance as the party inaugurated its 119-member National Convention Organising Committee at its Wadata Plaza National Secretariat in Abuja.

The Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, while delivering the position of the governors, told the gathering that the party must move from a situation where a few members continued to treat others as though they were “cowards” who should continue to do their bidding.

The governors pledged total support for the convention, adding that any member who wished to belong to “a faction of fools, we will allow him to go and do it.” Mohammed said, “We are not cowards, and we are not afraid of anybody.

We are capable of navigating this party beyond the shenanigans, beyond the arrogance, and beyond the impunity of others. We cannot continue to take part and allow people to take us to the slaughterhouse. That’s our job. And our job is to make sure we don’t go to the slaughterhouse.”

The development came as some leaders and stakeholders of the party led by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, refreshed conditions they said would determine the survival of the once “largest party in Africa,” including demanding that the zoning arrangement of 2021, which ceded the national chairmanship seat to the North-Central, must be retained.

Wike and his followers met on Monday night at his Abuja residence, rounding off in the wee hours of Tuesday ahead of the inauguration of the planning committee, which took place at 3:00 p.m. in the party’s Wadata Plaza National Secretariat.

Among those who attended the Wike meeting, which was held in the minister’s Abuja residence, were former Benue State governor, Dr Samuel Ortom; ex-Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose; former Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu; former governor of Enugu State, Honourable Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; National Vice-Chairman (South-South), Dan Orbih; and a former Senator representing Rivers-East at the National Assembly, George Sekibo. The party’s National Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu, was also at the meeting with Wike.

However, speaking during the inauguration of the committee, the National Chairman of the party, Ambassador Umar Damagum, the Governors’ Forum, and the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party, all talked tough, warning that no member could take the entire party hostage any longer.

Although none of the speakers mentioned Wike’s name, Damagum, for instance, told the session that he had steered the party more in silence in the last two years to achieve the cohesion of today, in spite of the obvious attempts by insider oppositions to weaken the PDP.

“But let me be clear; this success has only been made possible by silence and tolerance on my part. Not because I enjoy being disparaged, but because at critical moments, I chose restraint, not out of weakness, but as a conscious sacrifice for the survival and stability of our party,” he said.

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Damagum expressed concern that those bent on destroying the party were also at some point, some of the biggest beneficiaries of the PDP’s fortunes and goodwill.

He added, “They sought to sow division and weaken our structures. Yet, history will record, and analysts will debate, but the consensus will remain that in a time of great difficulty, this National Working Committee, under my leadership, held the line and did a remarkable job.

Today, I say with conviction that the PDP is not broken. The PDP is not defeated. The PDP is marching forward; stronger, more determined, and better prepared to fulfill our overriding objective: to reclaim the presidency of this great country and rebuild Nigeria from the mismanagement of the current ruling party.”

Specifically on the Ibadan convention, Damagum stated, “As you know, the 2025 Elective National Convention is scheduled to hold in Ibadan, Oyo State, from the 15th to 16th of November, 2025.

My charge to this Committee is simple, as you carry out your work, let fairness, equity, justice, and unity of purpose be your guiding principles. Let us set aside personal grievances and ambitions that do not serve the collective interest (if any exists). Let us focus on the bigger picture: building public trust by proving to Nigerians through this convention that the PDP remains the vanguard of democracy and the blueprint for due process.

Let every member of our party see, in your conduct, the assurance that PDP belongs to all.

I have no doubt that we will deliver a convention that reaffirms the PDP as the Party of the People, by the People, and for the People. This convention is sacrosanct, it has come to stay!”

Former Governor of Kaduna State and Secretary of the BoT, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, who spoke on behalf of the organ, toed the same line as Damagum and the governors. He said though the party welcomed consensus and accommodation, doing so must not be interpreted as a weakness on the part of party leaders.

Earlier, Wike and his loyalists issued a communique after their meeting, highlighting the conditions they said must be met ahead of the Ibadan convention to make it credible and acceptable to them.

The “Eminent Leaders and Stakeholders,” while reaffirming their commitment to the PDP, called for leadership positions within it to “remain open, inclusive, and competitive, while ensuring regional equity in accordance with the PDP’s long-standing traditions.”

They called on the NWC to urgently conduct fresh, transparent, and inclusive congresses in Ebonyi and Anambra States, in line with judgments of the courts. They also demanded a “fresh and legitimate South-East Zonal Congress” to be conducted.

The stakeholders further said the outcome of the “valid and legitimate” South-South Congress held in Calabar, Cross River State, and recognised by the court be respected.

In addition, they want the Ekiti State Local Government Areas Congress to be conducted immediately in “obedience to the subsisting court judgment.”

On the zoning of party offices ahead of the convention, the stakeholders stated, “Whereas we agree with the zoning committee’s recommendations, which was adopted by NEC that status quo remains, we further, and very strongly hold that there should be no form of micro-zoning for peace and stability within the party.

Consequently, the National Chairman of the party should remain in the North-Central in line with the zoning formula of the 2021 convention.”

The stakeholders warned that failure to comply with the above stated conditions would make the outcome of the Ibadan convention null and void.

The communique read more, “It is pertinent to caution that failure to comply with the above resolutions and demands shall render any purported national convention invalid, as legitimate members of the party would be disenfranchised.

The PDP was built on the foundation of inclusivity, fairness, and justice. Therefore, to reclaim its pride of place as the leading opposition and the true alternative for Nigerians, the party must now rise above narrow interests and embrace collective responsibility.

We, the Eminent Leaders and Concerned Stakeholders, remain steadfast in our loyalty to the party and resolute in our determination to work with all organs and leaders of the PDP to ensure that the forthcoming National Convention becomes a watershed moment — a moment where unity triumphs over division, and justice prevails over impunity.

Only then can the PDP speak with one voice, act with one heart, and march with renewed strength toward victory.”

The National Convention Organising Committee is chaired by the Governor of Adamawa State, Honourable Ahmadu Fintiri, while the 1st Deputy Chairman is the Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke.

All other PDP governors are also members of the 119-member committee which has many serving and previous office holders of the party as members.

In his acceptance speech, Fintiri promised a convention that would be the envy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and PDP members who defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

“I assure you that those who went to the ADC will soon fizzle away and even the APC will envy us. Let us not be taking all the fights to the media. We are open and everyone is free to contest. Come and buy the form and test your popularity rather than rushing to the media all the time,” the governor added.