PDP NEC Meets Today to Review Zoning Report Amid Looming Convention Crisis

In a high-stakes gathering that could determine the future of Nigeria’s main opposition party, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is convening today at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja to deliberate on a crucial zoning report. The meeting comes at a time when the party is grappling with a deepening crisis over the zoning of key positions ahead of its upcoming national convention, raising fears of internal implosion and potential legal battles.

The zoning report, prepared by a special committee chaired by former Kaduna State Governor Senator Ahmed Makarfi, is expected to recommend the rotation of the party’s presidential ticket and other top offices across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. Insiders reveal that the document advocates for the South-East zone to produce the next presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections, a move aimed at addressing long-standing agitations for equity within the party. However, this proposal has ignited fierce debates, with factions from the North insisting on retaining the ticket in the region following the PDP’s loss in the 2023 polls.

Party sources told this reporter that the NEC session, scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., will be chaired by acting National Chairman Umar Iliya Damagum, in the absence of the suspended National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu. The agenda is packed with tension: beyond the zoning report, delegates will tackle unresolved issues from the party’s botched presidential primaries in May 2022, including allegations of vote-buying and irregularities that led to multiple lawsuits. “This is do-or-die for PDP,” one senior party official confided anonymously. “If the zoning isn’t resolved equitably, the convention could turn into a free-for-all, splintering the party further.”

The crisis traces back to the PDP’s 2022 convention, where zoning controversies contributed to the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the presidential flagbearer amid protests from southern delegates. Fast-forward to today, and the party is still licking its wounds from a crushing defeat to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 2023 elections. With President Bola Tinubu’s administration facing economic headwinds, PDP leaders see the upcoming convention—tentatively slated for December—as a golden opportunity to regroup. Yet, internal divisions threaten to derail this.

Prominent voices have weighed in. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who hails from the North-East, has publicly urged party unity, tweeting yesterday: “Zoning is a sacred principle in PDP; let us uphold it to rebuild our great party.” On the other hand, Rivers State suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, representing southern interests, has mobilized allies to push for southern dominance, warning that “any deviation from equity will invite chaos.” Meanwhile, the G5 governors—led by Nyesom Wike, now a minister in the APC government—continue to haunt the PDP, with their defection last year exposing deep rifts.

Observers fear that today’s meeting could exacerbate the crisis if consensus eludes the NEC. “The PDP is at a crossroads,” said Dr. Fatima Yusuf, a political analyst at the University of Abuja. “Failure to zone fairly risks alienating key demographics and handing the opposition mantle to emerging parties like the Labour Party. But if they get it right, it could signal a strong comeback.”

As delegates arrive in Abuja under tight security, all eyes are on the outcome. Will the NEC endorse the report and pave the way for a smooth convention, or will it descend into another round of acrimony? For a party desperate to reclaim relevance, the stakes could not be higher. Updates on the meeting will follow as events unfold.