Barely four days to its planned national convention, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is undecided over whether one of its biggest events, the national convention would hold as scheduled.
The national convention is mainly for the election of the national chairman and other officials of the party and also to ratify other key decisions affecting the party.
But much as the party has tried to put its house in order ahead the 2027 elections, the efforts to start on a clean state gets scuttled midway with one crisis or the other.
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For the third time in less than a month, the PDP is experiencing conflict over its decision to hold the national convention of the party slated for Ibadan, Oyo State on November 15 and 16 due to disagreements amongst its leaders.
When the party at its last National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting decided it will hold the convention in Ibadan, some of the members notably the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had opposed the decision.
Opposition to the convention by some of the members is believed to be part of efforts by some to assume total control of the party.
As one of the biggest opposition parties in Nigeria, much expectation has been placed on the convention to see those who would emerge as the new leaders of the party to guide it in an election year.
The urge to see new set of leaders emerge is heightened by the fact that the PDP has been in intense turbulence since the 2022 elections is yet to recover few months to the expected release of guidelines for the 2027 general elections.
Those initially said to be interested in vying for the chairmanship position after Damagum include former governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi; former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido and former minister, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki.
Lamido who alleged he was being denied his right to contest the position by the refusal of the party to sell nomination and expression of interest forms to him went to court which led to the Tuesday judgement stopping the convention of the party.
Justice Peter Lifu of the federal High Court, Abuja gave the restraining order while ruling on the application by the former governor alleging that he was unjustly denied the opportunity to purchase the nomination form for the national chairmanship position, thereby excluding him from the exercise.
The court also ordered INEC not to monitor or recognise the outcome of any such gathering organised by the party.
Analysts say the stoppage of the convention would be too much for the party to bear as it has gone through similar back and forth within a short while.
In October 2025, Justice James Omotosho of the federal High court, Abuja, had ordered that the convention be halted until the party complies with the statutory requirements of its constitution, the Nigerian Constitution, and the Electoral Act.
He was acting on a suit filed by Austin Nwachukwu, PDP Chairman in Imo State; Amah Abraham Nnanna, Abia PDP Chairman and Turnah Alabh George, PDP Secretary, South-South, who alleged that the planned convention violated the Electoral Act and the PDP's internal rules.
Few days after on November 4, the Oyo State High Court however issued an interim order permitting the party to continue its convention plans without obstruction following an ex-parte motion filed by Folahan Adelabi against the PDP and others.
Background to crisis
Shortly before the 2023 elections, the party was rocked by crisis over which zone should produce its presidential candidate and at the end of the day, threw it open to all.
When former vice president Atiku Abubakar emerged the candidate, an aggrieved group led by then governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike insisted that both the chairman and presidential candidate of the party could not come from the zone and asked for the removal of then chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.
This led to a major split that saw five of governors working against the interests of the party and its presidential candidate in the 2023 elections.
Analysts contend that it is the inability of the party to resolve the issue and discipline erring members even after Iyorchia Ayu was forced to step down that has dragged leading to the current crisis where the forces loyal to Wike have continued to work at cross purposes with the interest of the other members of the party.
Former member of the House of Representatives, Timothy Golu who is a chieftain of the PDP in plateau State said it is those that do not mean well.foe.rhe party that are causing the current crisis.
"We are aware that there are attempts to weaken the party due to 2027 but it will not succeed, " he stated.
It was expected that he would give way for a new NWC as the party has zones the presidential ticket of the party to the South.
PDP not new to crisis
The party is not new to crisis during its national conventions.
In its first major convention after it became the ruling party, the effort put in by then President, Olusegun Obasanjo to stop Sunday Awoniyi from becoming the national chairman caused a major riftbon the party
Most of the chairmen after that hardly completed their tenure as they are consumed by crisis after another.
Barnabas Gemade only held sway chairman for two years; Audu Ogbe, his successor had a long reign but was compelled to step down. He was succeeded by Ahmadu Ali in 2005; after which Vincent Ogbulafor took the mantle and presided.over the affairs of the party for.twi years, he was also forced to.exit in controversial circumstances paving way for Okwesilieze Nwodo who reigned briefly and was replaced by
Bamanga Tukur who was also now allowed to complete his tenure but gave way to Adamu Muazu and later Uche Secondus took over when the party lost the 2015 elections
Ayu assumed position in 2021 and was also forced to vacate the seat in 2023 paving way Damagum.
Damagum had continued to act until August, when he was officially confirmed as the substantive National Chairman aof the party at its 102nd National Executive Committee meeting.
The many crises
The exit of Ayu from the national chairmanship did little to assuage aggrieved members when Damagum stepped in in acting capacity as members of the party from the North Central said the position should have been retained by the zone.
As that controversy raged the matter of who should be recognized as national secretary also brewed and dragged for a while further splitting members.
Even the party's Board of Trustees, BOT, was not spared as it was sacked by the group loyal to the FCT minister saying it has lost moral ground to continue to function as such.
The same group also sacked Damagum and appointed Abdulrahman Mohammed as acting chairman.
Many say it is not likely that PDP would be able to put its house in order before the next general elections.
A member of the party in Kaduna who prefers not to be named, said leaders of the party are working to weaken it due to selfish interests.
"They're working hard to see that the party is not strong so that they can sell the presidency to whoever, that is why you're seeing all these things, " he said.
The many losses
The party has lost quite a lot due to the constant frictions within it.
Party members are not happy that the PDP has lost its voice as the main opposition party in the country and it is unable to rally round members.
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They say if the party had been strong, it would have been able to put up a fiercer fight to protect the Rivers governor, Siminalayi Fubara, when he was in suspended.
More than that, between 2023 and now, has lost three major elections comprising two governorship elections in Edo and Anambra states and rerun elections in some federal and state constituencies.
It lost four governors, namely that of Delta, Sheriff Oborevwori; Akwa Ibom, Umo Eno; Bayelsa, Douye Diri and Enugu, Peter Mbah who defected to the APC and substantial numbers of key leaders like former vice president, Atiku Abubakar; former Senate President, David Mark, former minister, Adamu Maina Waziri and scores of former and serving members of the National and state assemblies.
More of the PDP governors including that of Taraba, Agbu Kefas are also set to join the APC.
With all these losses, it doesn't appear that the PDP has arrived at the formula to bring its members together ahead of the task ahead.
A member of the National Executive Committee, NEC of the party, Timothy Osadolor said PDP still has an opportunity to put the party in order before the next general elections, adding however that if reason does not prevail soon, the party should start thinking of 2031.
Osadolor who is also the Deputy National Youth Leader, said "for the party, PDP, it is not yet dark. We still have some lights that we can put some firewood around to make our fortunes burn brighter.
"Therefore, it is for these governors, particularly the governor that's hell bent on hosting the convention in Ibadan and his friends, let them come down from their high horses and sit down with the stakeholders and owners of the party so that we can collectively decide on the best way forward for this party.
"Time is running out, but I don't think it is impossible. If reasoning is not allowed to prevail, PDP should start retoolling for 2031 If common sense does not prevail in the next one week."
