PDP Crisis Deepens as INEC Rejects Party’s NEC Meeting Notice

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the notification submitted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for its forthcoming 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, citing a breach of procedural guidelines.

In a letter dated June 13, 2025, addressed to the party’s acting national chairman, INEC said the notification failed to comply with provisions of the 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.

TJ News Nigeria reports that the Commission specifically cited Part 2(12)3 of the regulations, which mandates that “the National Chairman and National Secretary of the Party shall jointly sign the notice of convention, congress, conference or meeting and submit same to the Commission.”

The correspondence, signed by the Acting Secretary to the Commission, Hajiya Hau’ru Aminu, emphasized that the notice submitted by the PDP lacked the required joint endorsement.

PDP’s Notice Falls Short of INEC Requirements

Although the PDP submitted the notice within the mandatory 21-day window required by law, it was reportedly signed solely by the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, without the signature of the party’s National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu.

 

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“The Commission draws your attention that the notice is not in compliance… Be guided,” INEC stated in the letter.

TJ News Nigeria gathered that the PDP had earlier written to the electoral body on May 30, 2025, formally notifying it of its intention to convene the NEC meeting on June 30 at its National Secretariat in Abuja.

The scheduled meeting is expected to deliberate on critical party matters, including:

• Internal leadership disputes,

• Ratification of zonal congresses, and

• Reports of various standing committees.

Lingering Internal Crisis Rocks PDP

The development comes amid heightened internal wrangling within the PDP, triggered largely by the aftermath of the 2023 general elections.

Recently, the party has witnessed a series of defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), including prominent figures such as Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his deputy Monday Onyeme, and former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, along with several commissioners and key stakeholders in Delta State.

Following these defections, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) convened an emergency meeting in Abuja to address the widening cracks within the party.

Push for Southern Presidency and 2027 Political Realignments

Amid the deepening crisis, influential PDP leaders, including Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and members of the G5 faction, met on June 9, pushing for the zoning of the party’s 2027 presidential ticket to the South.

Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate, has embarked on strategic consultations to form a broad-based opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The consultations reportedly involve prominent political figures such as Peter Obi, former Anambra State governor, and Nasir El-Rufai, former Kaduna State governor, as efforts intensify to build a counterforce to the APC’s growing dominance.

However, the proposal for coalition-building has faced internal opposition within the PDP, with party chieftains like Bode George expressing optimism that the party can independently resolve its challenges and regain political strength.

As the date for the NEC meeting draws closer, attention remains on how the PDP leadership will address INEC’s procedural objections and resolve its widening internal divisions.