The People's Democratic Party (PDP) refuses to give in to pressure to hastily punish members accused of going against the party's interests.
Instead, the party will follow its rules and procedures for sanctions, focusing on fair investigations and reports. The disciplinary committee is being reorganized for this purpose.
The Leadership reported that some PDP governors, including Nyesom Wike, supported an opposition candidate in the 2023 election, leading to calls for their punishment. However, internal disagreements over past elections and future leadership complicate reconciliation efforts.
The recent PDP National Executive Committee meeting decided to revamp the disciplinary and reconciliation committees to stabilize the party.
Acting national chairman Illiya Damagum was granted a three-month extension to organize congresses in several states, despite opposition from some quarters.
The PDP's national publicity secretary stressed the importance of due process and fairness in handling accusations against members. Resolving internal conflicts will be challenging but crucial for the party's unity and effectiveness.
The Leadership was informed by an insider from the Wike camp; he said, “The challenge is, where will the discipline start and where will it end?"
"Some people, after much pleading, worked against the party in the 2015 election, and they just returned to claim most of the positions in 2019 and repeated the same in 2023."
“We believe the best way to go is to address those issues that caused a breakdown of confidence within our ranks, and it goes back to 2015 as well as the winner taking all mentality of the 2022 primaries. So, we would rather see things through the eyes of reconciliation than sanction.”
A former party official aligned with the Atiku faction highlighted the difference between past and present dissenters, noting those who left after the 2015 loss didn't openly oppose the PDP like current members planning against the party for 2027. The ex-official urged clarity in handling this to avoid further discord.