Politics

Just in: PDP leaders plan to grab power as govs, ex-govs meet

Published

1 month ago

May 12, 2025

Admin

IN a move aimed at addressing the gale of defections and internal crisis rocking it, governors elected on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, met with former governors and other party stakeholders to strategise on its survival and forge a common front ahead of the 2027 general election.

The governors also invited former PDP governors, members of the Board of Trustees and former presiding officers of the National Assembly.

Recall that the rank of the PDP has been depleting, following the defection of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, his predecessor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, and the PDP structure in the state to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Also, National Assembly members have been leaving the party.

Three Kebbi lawmakers, Senators Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North), and Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South), joined the APC after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu last Friday.

Following the wave of defections, the PDP leaders convened yesterday’s meeting to prevent the country from turning into a one-party state.

It was also learned that the PDP leaders addressed key issues, including the upcoming National Executive Committee meeting and the National Elective Convention, at the expanded meeting.

The meeting, it was further gathered, was convened to chart a way forward for the party.

The meeting, convened by the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, would help define the party’s strategic direction, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The meeting was held at the Bauchi State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja.

Governors present at the meeting were Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Peter Mbah (Enugu) and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara).

PDP governors, who were notably absent, were Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Agbu Kefas (Taraba), Duoye Diri (Bayelsa); and the suspended governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara.

Their absence, particularly that of Governor Fubara, highlights the widening cracks within the party, especially in states grappling with internal leadership disputes or increasing pressure from the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Others present included the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Ambassador Iliya Damagum; former Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Seriake Dickson; former Osun State Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; former Cross River State Governor, Liyel Imoke; former Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; former Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu; and former Imo State Governor, Achike Udenwa.

Also present at the meeting were the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, whose political influence remains significant within the party, despite ongoing internal tensions; former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel; and former Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

Vanguard was reliably informed that the meeting was centred on “tackling the party’s internal crisis, which has triggered a series of high-profile defections to the APC.”

Multiple sources told Vanguard that the PDP leaders “deliberated on strategies for unifying the party and stemming the tide of defections to strengthen its standing ahead of the 2027 elections.”

Also, the dispute among members of the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, was brought to the front burner.

The ongoing leadership issues, particularly concerning the roles of the National Secretary and the Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Damagum, were discussed, with possible resolutions or new appointments considered. Vanguard further gathered that the meeting set the foundation for the PDP’s 2027 electoral strategy.

Though the agenda of the meeting was not disclosed to newsmen, it was gathered that deliberations were also around whether or not to pursue coalition arrangements with other opposition parties or to concentrate on internal consolidation, as resolved in earlier consultations.

With off-season governorship elections looming in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states, the party leaders would “explore ways to mobilise resources and galvanise support for the PDP candidate,” aiming to secure victories that could boost the party’s momentum ahead of the national polls. The outcome of the meeting, which remains ongoing at the time of filing this report, is poised to play a crucial role in shaping the PDP’s future as it confronts internal challenges and prepares for key elections.

Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed reservations that he was facing problems to reconcile and rebuild the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

Atiku’s Media Aide, Mazi Paul Ibe, accused some members of the PDP of working against his efforts, making it harder for the party to stand strong against the APC.

In a chat with Vanguard, Ibe said Atiku was focused on forming a strong coalition that could challenge the APC, which he blamed for causing pain, violence, hunger and hardship in the country.

However, he said some people in the PDP were working with the APC to weaken the party from within and stop it from waxing stronger.
Ibe alleged that some well-known people who rose politically through the PDP were now working against the same party, allegedly in alignment with the APC.

He said: “Atiku has put in a lot of effort to build the party, but he cannot do it alone. The party needs to work together and be disciplined. When people sabotage his work and try to hand the party over to the APC, the failure is not his but theirs.”

On those who say Atiku should not run in 2027, Ibe said: “Everyone has the right to his opinion. If they believe he should not run, they can support someone else. Let them bring out their candidate and work for that person. That is what democracy is about; it may not always be perfect, but it gives people the right to choose.”

He also criticised the APC-led government for failing to fix major problems such as insecurity, hunger and the poor state of the economy.

“In April, the President was having a good time in France, a country built by the hard work of its people, while Nigerians were being killed at home. A good leader would have ended the trip and returned home to handle the crisis. But some people do not seem to care,” Ibe said.

He stressed that whether or not Atiku would run in 2027 should not be the main focus right now. The bigger problem, he said, is the poor leadership of the APC government.

While urging Nigerians to stop focusing on Atiku’s future, he tasked Nigerians to hold the present government responsible for the country’s problems.

Credit: Vanguard

Politics

Fubara won’t be forgiven even if he joins us, says APC

Published

4 days ago

June 11, 2025

Admin

All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State said that the suspended governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has committed a mortal sin.

The party stated that even if he decided to ditch his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC, his sins would remain unforgiven.

Caretaker Committee chairman of the party in the state, Sir Tony Okocha made the position of the party known on Tuesday in Abuja while responding to questions regarding Fubara’s recent Sallah homage to President Bola Tinubu.

According to him, Fubara’s suspension and the declaration of a state of emergency were about his misdemeanour and had no political undertones.

He said; “If Fubara decides to join the APC, it has nothing to do with the state of emergency in Rivers state. His sins cannot be forgiven because he came to our party.

“You will jump into APC today and your sins are forgiven? That cannot be true. It won’t work that way. Then, it would have made APC as a dumping ground for people who commit misdemeanour and believe that by and large, we will come for reconciliation. No. It is not true. He has not spoken to me. He will enter the party through the door, not the window. Not only him, there are procedures for defection to another party, and if he claims to be a politician, he would know that all politics is local. He would try and defect in his ward. From there, it will come to us and my ward chairmen. I have asked, nobody brought any information about him entering APC”.

Asked whether he was worried about Fubara’s meeting with the president, Okocha said the APC had nothing to be worried about.

“How can I be worried that somebody visited my president? Don’t forget it was also the season of Sallah. Yesterday, I read somewhere that the former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Osoba, paid Sallah homage, and I don’t know whether you also saw the President in the company of Chief EN Wike. So we cannot be worried, we cannot gag the President to say you will see Mr A, you will not see Mr B. Perhaps, if I had made an application to see Mr President, I would have been there with my team”, he said.

Okocha also dismissed reports of a possible reconciliatory moves being embarked on by Gov. Fubara, saying there was nothing like that.

He said; “I am not a prophet of doom. I can only say to you with the benefit of knowledge that I am not aware of any reconciliatory move. No reconciliation is going on. Is it going to talk to Mr. President? But Mr. President has said go and make peace. There was no attempt at that. I am not aware of any reconciliatory moves by Fubara and his team”.

Politics

Wike vows PDP won’t sink as he hosts critical stakeholders

Published

5 days ago

June 10, 2025

Admin

Federal Capital Territory FCT minister, Nyesom Wike on Monday evening hosted critical stakeholders of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, under the aegis of “Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP”, saying the party will not die

While it was not immediately clear whether the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, a member of the G-5 was invited to the meeting, his other colleagues – Ifeanyi Uguanyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) were at the meeting.

Others at the meeting included the National Secretary of the PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; former Senate Minority Leader, Philip Aduda; serving and former federal and state lawmakers, some zonal and state party executives, among a host of others.

Addressing the meeting, Wike said the concerned stakeholders are those who have always believed and who still believe in the survival of the party.

“All of you here are those who are committed to the survival of our party not just on TV talking or on the newspapers talking but committed to the party at the various levels.

“Today, this country is stabilized because of the activities of the G5 Governors. You may like us you may hate us. The truth of the matter is if G5 did not take the decision we took, this country would have been in crisis. It doesn’t matter who the beneficiary was but the right thing had to be done and we still stand by that decision.

“If the party had listened to what we said, we won’t have been where we are today and we have continued to sound it to the party, let the constitution of the party and of the country be respected. That, as an opposition party, we cannot continue to act with impunity. No opposition party acts with impunity. Ours is to continue to placate people and bring them together, not to say that they should go to hell.

“Let us not allow greed, let us not allow ego to kill our party”.

Wike who wondered why the fixation on the position of national secretary, said Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba state was the chairman of the party in the state and that he did not resign before contesting for Governorship but only went back to resign after winning the election.

He said the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Ibrahim Abdullahi, also contested for the Kebbi state governorship and that he retained his seat even after losing the election.

On his part, Dr Ortom noted that he who pays the piper dictates the tune. He challenged anyone in Nigeria to tell Nigerians whoever has contributed to the growth of the PDP more than Wike.

He said the president understands that the country cannot be a one-party state which was why he appointed Wike into a very sensitive position as the FCT minister.

“For whatever reason, PDP made a lot of mistakes and we are where we are today”, he said.

The meeting was still ongoing behind closed doors as of the time of filing this report and it is expected to come out with a communique.

Politics

Obi, Otti, and Nenadi lead Obidient Movement Rebirth in Abuja tomorrow

Published

6 days ago

June 9, 2025

ADMIN

…as veteran Journalist presents a book on Obi

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, Governor Alex Otti of Abia state and the Acting National Chairman of the Labour Party, Senator Nenadi Usman are leading the team of eggheads in a rebirth event of the Obidient Movement in Abuja on Tuesday June 10, 2025.

A statement from the Peter Obi Media Reach, POMR, confirmed that their principal is expected to be the Special Guest at the occasion alongside Governor Otti and other top-notchers of the Obidient Movement.

A renowned legal intellectual, Prof Sam Amadi is expected to provoke conversation in a keynote speech on ‘the Inevitability of a New Nigeria’ with other notable speakers at the occasion including the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr Yunusa Tanko.

The highlights of the event themed, ‘the Renaissance of the Obidient Movement’ will be the presentation of a book titled *Obi: The Political Change Agent,* authored by a veteran journalist, the former Group Political Editor of THISDAY Newspapers and Pioneer Deputy Managing Director of the New Telegraph Newspaper Mr Ike Abonyi. The foreword to the book is written by the impassioned legal mind and a fervent Obidient, Dele Farotomi.
An esteemed diplomat and former Campaign Manager of Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council Mr Oseloka.H. OBAZE is going to review the book
The ceremony, which is drawing Obidient Movement adherents from across the country, is being held at the Nigerian Air Force Centre in Kado area of Abuja.