Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will convene in Jos, Plateau State, on Saturday to deliberate on the future of acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Ilyas Damagum. This critical meeting comes ahead of the party’s 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) gathering, scheduled for November 28.
The session, organized by Bauchi State Governor and PDP Governors’ Forum Chairman, Senator Bala Mohammed, seeks to address the ongoing leadership crisis within the party.
Two factions have emerged among the governors: one led by Senator Mohammed, and the other by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde. Governor Makinde’s camp, aligned with former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, supports Damagum’s leadership until December 2025. However, the opposing faction is pushing for a replacement.
The North Central zone, which previously produced former National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu, has yet to reach a consensus on a successor. While Senator David Mark has been suggested, his health concerns may rule him out as a viable candidate.
Amid this uncertainty, Damagum appears to have garnered significant support, reportedly securing endorsements from 29 of 37 state chairmen and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chairman. This backing could sway the NEC meeting in his favor.
Following a closed-door meeting on Wednesday between Damagum’s National Working Committee (NWC) and PDP state chairmen, Imo State PDP Chairman and Interim Chairman of the PDP Chairmen’s Forum, Austin Nwachukwu, provided some insights.
Speaking to journalists, Nwachukwu said, “The meeting is simply to familiarise ourselves with the National Working Committee. Recall that a few months back, a lot of state congresses were held from wards, local government to the state.
“The NWC deemed it fit to gather all of us in Abuja to enable us to know each other. It is essentially to familiarise ourselves with the NWC and those of them whose tenure is still running and will be running out next year.”
The outcome of Saturday’s meeting could significantly shape the PDP’s leadership direction ahead of the NEC session.
