The crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party continues to intensify, with the party’s Board of Trustees raising fresh concerns over leadership issues.
In an emergency meeting held on Thursday at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, the BoT took a strong stance, calling on leaders from the North Central Zone to convene a meeting of stakeholders to nominate a replacement for the former National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.
The BoT’s demand follows the removal of Ayu, after which Amb. Umar Damagum assumed the position in an acting capacity, according to Independent.
However, Damagum has since gone to court to contest his potential removal.
After a four-hour meeting, the BoT issued a communiqué, read by its Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara. The statement urged the party’s National Working Committee to fulfill its commitment by convening the National Executive Committee meeting as scheduled for February 2025.
The BoT emphasized that delaying the NEC meeting further would only worsen the party’s current challenges and could spell disaster for its future.
Additionally, the BoT called on the North Central leaders to quickly organize a meeting with regional stakeholders to nominate a replacement for Senator Ayu. The communiqué also stressed the importance of unity and adherence to democratic principles within the party, underscoring the need for all organs of the PDP to work together to strengthen the party as the primary opposition in Nigeria.
The BoT reiterated that the strength of the PDP lies in collective effort, not in individual ambitions. It highlighted the importance of reconciliation and harmony within the party to advance a shared vision for a better Nigeria.
The BoT demanded that the “NWC should show leadership, honour its word and convene the NEC meeting as scheduled in February 2025. This is critical for resolving pressing issues and charting a clear path forward for the party. Any further postponement will exacerbate existing challenges and may spell doom for our Party.
“The BoT calls on the leaders of the North Central Zone to immediately convene a meeting of North Central stakeholders with a view to nominating a replacement for former National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.
“The BoT calls for unity and strict adherence to democratic principles by all Organs of the Party so as to strengthen the PDP to effectively play its role as true opposition party in the country
“The BoT stressed that the strength of the PDP lies in collective resolve and not in individual pursuits. The BoT cannot therefore afford to let personal ambitions or differences overshadow the shared vision for a better Nigeria. To this end, the BoT remains committed to its search for true reconciliation, unity and harmony in the Party.”
