FCT Minister Wike Loyalists have given conditions for PDP convention to hold.
NaijaOnPoint Nigeria reports that prominent leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, have called for the retention of the zoning arrangement adopted at the party’s 2021 National Convention.
The PDP leaders insisted that the position of the National Chairman must remain in the North-Central in line with the formula.
Meeting under the platform of Eminent Leaders and Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP in Abuja on Monday night, the group also demanded fresh congresses in Ebonyi and Anambra States, as well as a new South-East Zonal Congress. They further urged the National Working Committee (NWC) to immediately conduct Local Government congresses in Ekiti State.
Additionally, the stakeholders insisted that the outcome of the February 22, 2025 South-South Zonal Congress in Calabar, which was validated by a court, must be respected.
The communique of the meeting, read by former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, warned that failure to comply with these resolutions would render any forthcoming national convention invalid, stressing that legitimate members of the party would otherwise be disenfranchised.
Those in attendance included Minister Wike; PDP National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; former governors Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu); House Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda; and suspended Rivers Assembly Speaker, Martins Amaewhule.
Also present were serving and former lawmakers, the embattled National Vice Chairmen of North-Central and South-South, Abdulrahman Mohammed and Dan Orbih, as well as state chairmen from Abia, Benue, FCT, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers.
The communique reaffirmed the group’s commitment to the PDP’s founding principles of equity, inclusivity, justice, and the rule of law. It stressed that the forthcoming convention must be anchored on transparency and fairness to ensure the party’s unity and relevance.
“The PDP must rise above narrow interests and embrace collective responsibility if it is to reclaim its pride of place as Nigeria’s leading opposition,” the group declared.