National convention: How PDP national secretary may emerge —Stakeholders

DETAILS of how the South-West caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may adopt a preferred candidate for national secretary ahead of the national convention of the party coming between November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital emerged on Monday.

Nigerian Tribune recalls that the battle for the position, which is zoned to the South-East in the outgoing dispensation, was mired on controversy and litigation between two tendencies, which left the PDP almost in limbo for about two years.

The PDP eventually settled for one of the claimants to the post, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, in a seeming compromise at the 100th National Executive Committee of party.

Some main stakeholders in the party told the Nigerian Tribune that the leaders from the South-West were holding extensive consultations on how to come up with a consensus candidate since the position is already ceded to the geopolitical zone ahead of the elective convention.

A source said two bigwigs of PDP from the South-West have in London as more party faithful intensified lobbying for their preferred choice from Ogun State, which is micro-zoned with Lagos State.

Incidentally, the current deputy national secretary of PDP, Architect Setonji Koshedo, hails from Lagos.

Other party chieftains informed the Nigerian Tribune that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State would be given the right to put forward a possible preferred candidate because of the status and strategic position of the two-term governor in PDP caucus in the South-West.

But his choice, according to the leaders, would not be automatic as it will be subject to due process since, in the words of one the PDP elders; PDP is not a one-man show.

The stakeholders also ruled out the possibility of either Oyo or Osun getting the privilege to present candidates for the post of national secretary, since both states currently hold the posts of deputy national chairman and national vice chairman/zonal chairman respectively.

In a memo dated September 1, 2025, addressed to the PDP national chairman through the deputy national chairman (South), the zoning committee for the Southern Region zoned the positions opf national auditor, and deputy national organizing secretary along with national secretary to the South-West.

The committee recommended the posts of national financial secretary, deputy national secretary, national women’s leader and deputy national leader to the South-East, while the offices of deputy national chairman (South), national publicity secretary, deputy national treasurer and deputy national legal adviser were proposed for the South-South.

Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune on the phone on preparations for the PDP convention as regards national offices, a former deputy national chairman of PDP, Chief Bode George, emphasised the issue of privileged that would be given Governor Makinde in making a greater input into who emerges as the consensus candidate of the South-West as national secretary, in consultations with other elders and leaders of thought of the party.

George, who is a member of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, said: “The governor should have an interest in who emerges as the candidate for the position given his position in the South-West PDP caucus. Though it is not automatic, we must able to concede to the governor. We will share whatever is left.

“If there are certain things we observe that needs a collective action, we will settle them. He knows what he wants in consultations with elders.

“Whatever he brings, we will approve and if there are issues, we will address them and move forward. That’s the way the PDP works, once it is something that will bring comfort, unity and progress to the South-West.

He said the PDP was “not like the other political party because there is no room for arbitrariness; we have had all congresses at the ward, local and state levels.”

“The position they gave us, we will have to call a meeting and work with the elders. We will network and get the support of everybody. It is a collective responsibility. It is not a private property,” Chief George said.

A former national vice chairman of PDP, Chief Eddy Olufeso, said that all processes that will culminate into the national convention remain seamless, citing the conduct of congresses from ward to the local and state levels so far.

He said the leaders do not envisage any form of hiccups because of the ongoing collaborative efforts of the critical stakeholders in the PDP to guarantee the emergence of formidable structures.

Similarly, a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party, Senator Olu Alabi, told the Nigerian Tribune that there are concerted efforts by the leaders to produce a consensus candidate for the post of national secretary.

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