The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria’s oldest surviving opposition platform, is once again at a decisive crossroads. On Monday, its Board of Trustees (BoT) and the Convention Zoning Committee held separate high-level meetings in Abuja, setting the stage for what promises to be a stormy National Executive Committee (NEC) session later today.
At the heart of these deliberations are two major issues: the zoning of principal party offices ahead of the November 15, 2025 National Convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, and the brewing power tussle that has pitched loyalists of the party establishment against powerful dissenters, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
While the Zoning Committee, chaired by Bayelsa State Governor Duoye Diri, met at the Legacy House to fine-tune recommendations on power rotation and the party’s presidential slot, the BoT gathered at the Wadata Plaza to send out a rallying cry for unity. Diri assured that his committee would present “fair, inclusive, and strategic” decisions for NEC ratification, insisting that zoning remains a tested mechanism for maintaining balance within the PDP.
The BoT, however, went beyond zoning. It appealed for peace, warning against any crisis that could jeopardize the Ibadan convention. This is not an empty concern. Just last weekend, PDP governors, meeting for the 7th time in Gusau, Zamfara State, issued a stern communiqué backing the July NEC resolution to proceed with the convention as scheduled. Their message was clear: no single individual — no matter how influential — should be allowed to derail the party’s internal democratic process.
That statement was widely seen as a veiled rebuke to Wike, who has increasingly positioned himself as both a kingmaker and a spoiler within the PDP. His strained relationship with party leadership, dating back to the 2023 presidential primaries, has consistently cast a shadow over efforts to reposition the PDP as a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governors did not mince words. They described the PDP as “the only democratic institution and viable alternative to restore Nigeria to the path of good governance and development,” underscoring the urgency of protecting the convention from internal sabotage. Their emphasis reflects broader fears that failure to conduct a hitch-free convention could fracture the party further and weaken its chances in the 2027 elections.
Indeed, the stakes could not be higher. With Nigeria’s economy under strain and public disillusionment with governance deepening, many citizens look to the PDP to step up as a serious contender. Yet, history has shown that the party is often its own worst enemy — undone not by external rivals but by internal wrangling, zoning battles, and personal ambitions.
As the NEC convenes today, observers will be watching for signs of whether the PDP can overcome its familiar cycle of crisis or whether it will once again stumble on the altar of factional politics. The outcome will not only shape the November convention but also determine if the PDP can mount a credible challenge in 2027 — or if it will cede further ground to the APC.
For now, one thing is clear: the PDP must decide whether it wants to remain a party of endless quarrels or reposition itself as a serious national force ready to rescue Nigeria’s fragile democracy.