By Our Reporters
Ahead of the much-anticipated National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, tension is mounting among party chieftains, deepening doubts over the likely outcome of the exercise.
From the National Secretariat in Abuja to the various state chapters, unease has replaced optimism.
Personal ambitions, conflicting loyalties, and widening factional divides have created a storm that now threatens to derail the convention before it begins. The situation has dampened the commitment of many stakeholders.
Factional
Although the National Working Committee, NWC, has held a series of consultations aimed at calming frayed nerves, Sunday Vanguard gathered that the meetings have yielded little progress. Those close to the process said the camps loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, and the Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, remain sharply divided.
“The truth is that the PDP is operating in silos,” a member of convention planning committee told Sunday Vanguard. “Every group is fighting for survival, not unity. Damagum is trying to appear neutral, but his hold on the party is weak. Most of his decisions are being second-guessed or influenced by forces outside Wadata Plaza. People no longer trust that this convention will be fair, “ he added.
The camp of Senator Samuel Anyanwu, believed to be a close ally of Wike, continues to oppose moves that may weaken their grip, particularly in the South-East zone where the struggle for control has been fierce.
Wike
Wike, who spearheaded the G-5 governors’ rebellion in the 2023 general elections, remains the most dominant influence in the PDP despite serving in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet. Through his allies within the NWC and some state structures, the FCT Minister is perceived to be shaping the direction of the party ahead of the convention.
“He is the factor nobody can ignore,” said a former PDP national officer.
”Even those who criticise him privately avoid confronting him publicly. He has money, influence, and access. The convention’s shape is being defined by how far Wike’s reach extends and how others react to it,” he added.
State chapters
Findings by Sunday Vanguard revealed that many state chapters are heading into the convention deeply divided, exposing the party’s structural weakness.
It was learnt that in several states, particularly those where former PDP governors defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, the opposition party has struggled to rebuild credible leadership. The absence of strong control, it was gathered, has allowed factions loyal to Anyanwu and Wike to take advantage of the vacuum through loyal coordinators and parallel executives.
A top party official disclosed that the problem is most pronounced in the North-West, North-Central, and parts of the South-South. “What we have now are fractured chapters. In some states, there are two or three parallel executives, each loyal to different camps. Where governors left, the structures became easy prey for takeover. The result is confusion, and that confusion is already showing ahead of the convention,” the source said.
He warned that the disunity at the grassroots level could compromise delegate selection and voting, thereby triggering further post-convention litigation. “Without unity at the state level, the delegates you produce become questionable. That’s how post-convention court cases begin.”
Struggle
Although the remaining PDP governors are trying to steady the ship, insiders said they are fighting uphill battles. Many are reportedly wary of the shifting loyalties of key figures within their states and at the national level.
“The governors are trying, but they are not in control,” another source revealed. “Some are surrounded by people already in touch with the Wike camp. The fear that a few governors may still defect to the APC after or before the convention is real, and that fear is leaving party members increasingly disenchanted.”
A South-West party elder described the current atmosphere as “the most fragile since the PDP was formed in 1998.” According to him, “We no longer have strong governors’ coordination like before.
Everyone is just watching his back. The governors are careful not to provoke Abuja, and that’s why nobody wants to speak too strongly about the convention.”
Fears
In addition to political divisions, fears of fresh court cases are adding to the anxiety. Several aspirants and stakeholders envisage post-convention legal battles over delegate lists, zoning, and leadership contests.
A member of PDP convention planning committee told Sunday Vanguard that the party anticipates “a litigation storm.” He said: “We expect court actions from aggrieved aspirants immediately after the convention. Some have already hired lawyers. The fear is that the courts may again become instruments in the power struggle.”
Multiple sources alleged that the judiciary could be sympathetic to certain interests. “People are worried that the courts may dance to the tune of those with influence,” a North-Central PDP leader claimed. “They have enormous influence, and once the convention produces controversial outcomes, you can expect the legal fireworks to begin immediately, “ he added.
Crisis
The current tension in the PDP did not start today. It has its roots in the aftermath of the 2023 presidential election and the unresolved leadership disputes that followed. After the poll, the party became polarised between those who wanted a comprehensive overhaul of the NWC and those who preferred to retain the status quo pending broader reconciliation.
At the centre of the latest flare-up was the controversy over the letter purportedly sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, announcing the suspension of the PDP National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the appointment of a replacement.
Anyanwu disowned the letter, claiming his signature was forged and that the communication was a ploy to sideline him. He accused the Damagum-led leadership of acting under external influence to weaken the South-East bloc of the party.
The controversy sparked multiple lawsuits in Abuja and Owerri, with different factions seeking judicial clarification on who the authentic officers of the party were. Those cases have further deepened mistrust and stalled preparations for the convention for months.
Party insiders told Sunday Vanguard that the wounds from those legal battles have not healed. “The issue of forged signature and the parallel court injunctions destroyed trust completely,” one of them said. “That is why the current reconciliation efforts are not making progress. Many people believe that what happened then could repeat itself once the convention results don’t favour one camp.”
Survival
Analysts believe that the PDP’s troubles are being fuelled by personal ambition rather than ideological difference. “What we are seeing is a battle of survival,” said another convention committee member. He further said:”Damagum’s leadership is seen as weak, Wike’s influence is strong but divisive, and the governors are uncertain. The party’s elders have lost authority. Under these conditions, the convention is unlikely to produce peace.”
Despite the gloom, some members insist the PDP can still reinvent itself if the convention is transparent and inclusive. But as things stand, most chieftains are more apprehensive than hopeful.
“The question is no longer whether the convention will hold,” said a Northern party leader, “but whether it will solve or worsen the crisis. If it produces more bitterness, court cases, and defections, then the PDP will simply hand the ruling party an easy ride in 2027,” the party chieftain declared.
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