Ahead of the November national convention in Ibadan, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors and Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike are involved in a covert power struggle over control of key positions within the party and its 2027 presidential ticket…….CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
Delegates will choose new party officers during the event to lead the PDP and set up primaries for the 2027 elections. The roles of National Chairman and National Secretary are at the centre of the struggle. The PDP National Executive Committee approved the Douye Diri Zoning Committee report after its most recent meeting, assigning the chairmanship to the North and the national secretary and presidential candidate to the South.
Southern leaders then distributed their 11 positions among the three zones: the South-South will have the Deputy National Chairman (South), Publicity Secretary, Deputy Treasurer, and Deputy Legal Adviser; the Southwest will have the National Secretary, National Auditor, and Deputy Organising Secretary; and the Southeast will have the National Financial Secretary, Deputy National Secretary, Women’s Leader, and Deputy Youth Leader.
Interest organisations that support Wike and the governors are actively networking to find loyalists who will support their blocs in spite of this agreement. The fact that the presidential candidate is anticipated to come from the South adds even more complexity to the contest. This implies that the area vying for the position of National Secretary cannot realistically challenge the ticket. Everyone in the Southwest is waiting for Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde, who is thought to have presidential aspirations, to make his intentions clear. Meanwhile, there is still a lot of conjecture over the possible return of former President Goodluck Jonathan. Although he hasn’t publicly consulted PDP leaders, his recent meeting with Peter Obi of the Labour Party has stoked more curiosity, and his advisers deny ruling him out. Jonathan is still admired by some governors, such as Bala Mohammed, while Obi’s disassociation from the party is questioned by others.
The Southwest, which is frequently left out of the PDP’s power calculations, is demanding greater inclusion. As part of this lobbying, Makinde allegedly secured Oyo’s claim to the secretaryship position by hosting the convention in Ibadan. In an attempt to strengthen Wike’s position, efforts are also being made to convince Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the current National Secretary and a close Wike supporter, to assume the position of Deputy National Chairman (South)…….CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
