Indications are rife that the battle for the control of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ahead of the 2027 general elections, has shifted to the states, as the party prepares for congresses in 20 states.
Daily Sun gathered that as the congresses scheduled to hold in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Rivers, Kano, Kastina, Benue, Kaduna and Plateau states, on August 31, inch closer, gladiators have returned to the trenches.
The other states the congresses are expected to hold include Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, Enugu, Imo, Abia, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Anambra and the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT).
A document obtained at the PDP national secretariat, weekend, indicated that there would be ward and local government congresses in the affected states on July 27 and August 10 respectively. The PDP NEC is expected to meet on September 26 to ratify all elected executives and possibly take a decision on the issue of a substantive national chairman.
Daily Sun gathered that in the run-up to the congresses to elect new executives for the party at the state level, major gladiators in the opposition party have shifted their attention to the states.
This is amidst a raging crisis in at least 12 state chapters, including Kano, Kastina, Rivers, Edo, Ebonyi, Ogun, Plateau, Niger and Cross River, as well as the South East chapter. PDP leaders in the affected states have engaged in tussle for the control of party machinery ahead of the 2027 polls.
In the Aftermath of the 2023 general elections, supporters of former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, have been on a warpath over the control of the PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Prior to the last meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) on April 18, the two camps were engaged in a fierce contest over which of the groups will produce the substantive national chairman of the party. However, NEC differed the selection of a new national chairman to its next meeting scheduled tentatively for September 26, 2024.
Recently, some of the caretaker committees, as part of the power play ahead of the congresses, recently directed all members of the party in their states to revalidate their membership before the congresses. However, the National Working Committee (NWC), in a statement by the National Public Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, overruled the committees, saying no old member is expected to revalidate his or her membership.
A highly placed source at the PDP secretariat told Daily Sun the botched re-validation was a ploy by some of the gladiators to edge out their rivals in the tussle for the control of party machinery. “You are aware that the NWC recently said old members do not have to revalidate. Those going to vote are registered party members. What those people were doing, they were saying everybody should go and revalidate. So, they will carry cards and forms, they will not give to certain people. It is part of the tussle for the control of party structure.
“The party has issued a statement that revalidation is not for old members. It is now all party members that will vote. What they wanted to do was to stop certain people from holding the party cards. In those states where there are tussles, some camps were trying to edge out their rivals. But immediately that statement was issued, the whole issue was addressed.”
A party leader from the South East also told Daily Sun: “You know we have camps. Camp Atiku (Abubakar). Camp (Nyesom) Wike. There is even a third camp now made up of people who do not agree with Wike and Atiku. Some PDP members are mobilising to take back their party. Like you know, it is those elected at congresses that will ultimately decide the shape of the party going forward. It is these Congresses that will show who is in charge.”
Daily Sun reliably gathered that in the run up to the congresses, tension in the 12 states have heightened as party bigwigs battle for control of party machinery.
For instance, in Ebonyi, leaders of the opposition party have drawn the battlelines over control of the PDP.
“it is all about the 2027 contest in the state. Some leaders who have lost touch with the people are insisting on controlling the party ahead of the next governorship election,” a member of the party in the state told Daily Sun.
Also, in Edo State, members of the Legacy Group led by Chief Dan Orbih have drawn battlelines with Governor Godwin Obaseki over the control of party machinery. A leader of the party told our correspondent that the Legacy Group members were undeterred by the recent suspension of Orbih as national vice chairman by the NWC.