PDP BoT Meets Ahead of Landmark 100th NEC as Wabara Rallies Stakeholders

As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) prepares for its pivotal 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting today, the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), led by Senator Adolphus Wabara, is making final efforts to consolidate unity and restore order within the embattled opposition party. Amid factional tensions and conflicting narratives, the BoT met this morning in Abuja to strategize ahead of what is expected to be a defining session in the party’s recent history.

The 100th NEC meeting, announced at the 99th session held on May 27, 2025, is set to address long-standing internal issues, notably leadership disputes and the organization of the upcoming national convention. It has not been without drama. A misleading circular on social media suggesting the NEC gathering had been converted into a “Special Expanded National Caucus meeting” was flatly denied by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), which reaffirmed the NEC’s authority and the validity of today’s meeting.

According to the PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, no individual or organ of the party holds the constitutional power to alter the scheduled NEC date. Arapaja referenced Section 31(3) of the PDP Constitution, stressing the meeting’s binding nature and its centrality to party decisions.

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Wabara, BoT Move to Salvage PDP

In response to the ongoing leadership tussles, BoT Chairman and former Senate President Adolphus Wabara convened an emergency meeting of the board early today. This gathering aimed to harmonize perspectives and bridge internal divides ahead of the NEC meeting. The BoT includes prominent party elders, such as Chief Olabode George, who confirmed Wabara’s extensive engagement with key stakeholders in recent days.

Chief George, himself a former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, voiced frustration over the persistent crises within the party, saying, “If there is no meeting, we can’t do anything. NEC has the final authority.” He decried attempts by some individuals to derail the PDP’s constitutional process and suggested that those working against the party’s unity were free to leave.

Meanwhile, the acting National Secretary controversy has become a key flashpoint. Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Udeh-Okoye are both staking claims to the position, deepening rifts within the party. A recent attempt by 11 NWC members to reinstate Anyanwu has been contested, further intensifying the internal dispute.

However, National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, reassured party members that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not objected to the current acting secretary’s role. He affirmed that this clarity has paved the way for a smooth NEC session, emphasizing the NEC’s ability to make final decisions on contentious matters.

South-East Holds Firm Amid Secretary Dispute

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, a key voice from the South-East, publicly reiterated his unwavering support for the positions taken by the NWC, BoT, and South-East Zonal Executive Committee (ZEC) concerning the national secretaryship dispute. Speaking after a strategic meeting with Wabara, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, and other PDP leaders, Mbah emphasized that the South-East’s stance is “sacrosanct.”

According to Mbah, “While I am still a member of the PDP, the South-East — and that includes me — reserves the right to review our continued membership of the party if the party is unwilling to put its house in order.” He underlined the party’s neglect of the South-East’s demand to retain the National Secretary position as a catalyst for the region’s growing discontent.

The meeting at Enugu drew notable PDP stalwarts including Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Senator Sam Egwu, Iyom Josephine Anenih, and Senator Ben Obi. Their presence signals a coordinated push from the South-East to assert influence in resolving the current impasse.

PDP’s Future Hinges on Unity

Today’s 100th NEC meeting is more than ceremonial—it is a crucial junction for the party to either mend its fractured structure or deepen internal discord. As former Benue State Governor Senator Gabriel Suswam previously stated, the PDP is like “a patient in an intensive care unit.” Whether today’s meeting can initiate healing or deepen wounds remains to be seen.

The NEC will receive progress reports from the Zoning Committee and the National Convention Organizing Committee ahead of the scheduled convention from August 28 to 30, 2025. For the PDP, a successful and unified convention may mark a path to resurgence. But first, party leaders must emerge from today’s gathering with a common vision, or risk losing their grip as Nigeria’s main opposition force.