PDP Confirms 100th NEC Meeting To Proceed Amid Internal Tensions.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has confirmed that its 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting will go ahead as scheduled on Monday, 30 June 2025, despite ongoing internal disputes. The announcement was made by the party’s Deputy National Chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, during a press conference at the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja on Sunday evening, quelling speculations about a possible postponement.
The decision follows a week of intense controversy within the party, sparked by Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum’s announcement on Wednesday to defer the NEC meeting and reinstate Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary. Damagum’s move, supported by key figures including the PDP Governors’ Forum Chairman, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, and Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, was met with resistance from a faction of the National Working Committee (NWC) and the Board of Trustees (BoT). The dissenting group, led by Arapaja and Deputy National Secretary Arc. Setonji Koshoedo, insisted that the meeting must proceed as planned, citing the PDP Constitution, which states that only the NEC, as the party’s highest decision-making body after the National Convention, can alter its own resolutions.
Arapaja, addressing journalists, clarified that the NEC meeting would take place at the NEC Hall of Wadata Plaza, Abuja, to discuss critical issues, including updates from the Zoning Committee and the National Convention Organising Committee. “No organ, group, or individual has the power to cancel or vary the resolution of the NEC,” he stated, dismissing a circulating notice about converting the meeting into a “Special Expanded National Caucus” as unconstitutional and not emanating from the PDP. The National Convention, scheduled for 28–30 August 2025, is also expected to be a key agenda item.
The PDP’s internal crisis has been exacerbated by a leadership tussle over the National Secretary position, with Anyanwu and Sunday Udeh-Okoye both laying claim to the role. The BoT, chaired by former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, has rejected Anyanwu’s reinstatement, aligning with the NWC faction that recognises Koshoedo as Acting National Secretary. This division has deepened tensions, with some party leaders, including Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo and Peter Mbah of Enugu, pushing for adherence to the party’s constitutional processes.
Despite the challenges, Arapaja expressed confidence in the PDP’s resilience, assuring members that the party remains united in its mission to provide robust opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections. The NEC meeting is seen as a critical step in addressing these disputes and setting the stage for the upcoming National Convention, where key leadership decisions will be finalised.
