PDP Faces Crossroads as Zoning Report Lands

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is once again in the spotlight as it prepares to receive the much-anticipated zoning committee report today. The report will be presented at the 102nd meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), and it comes at a critical time when internal tensions over the upcoming national convention are reaching new heights.

This zoning committee was formed back in July and is being led by Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri. He is supported by Zamfara Governor Dauda Lawal as vice chairman and Plateau Governor Caleb Mutfwang as secretary. Their main task has been to allocate the 19 National Working Committee positions fairly between the North and the South.

Now, according to multiple insiders within the PDP, the committee has chosen to maintain the current zoning formula. This means both the North and the South will keep their existing positions in the party’s structure. The NEC is expected to officially adopt the report at its meeting, scheduled for 2 p.m. today.

A member of the PDP National Working Committee shared that from what they have seen of the report, the existing structure will remain intact. The Southern wing of the party has already taken it a step further by breaking down its share of positions by geopolitical zones, while the Northern bloc is expected to do the same after today’s NEC session.

Last Thursday, during a Southern stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos, Southern leaders distributed key roles among the three Southern geopolitical zones. The South-South was allocated the Deputy National Chairman and the National Publicity Secretary. The South-West received the National Secretary and the National Auditor positions. The South-East was given the Deputy National Secretary and Financial Secretary roles. With influence from Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, the National Secretary position was micro-zoned to Oyo, and Akwa Ibom was awarded the slot for Publicity Secretary.

The acting leadership of the party, headed by Ambassador Umar Damagum, is set to expire in December. In anticipation of this, the party had already taken steps to prevent further friction. Back in July, during the 101st NEC meeting, members agreed to hold the National Elective Convention on November 15 and 16. The event will take place in Ibadan, Oyo State. Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State will serve as the convention chairman, with Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke as vice chairman and Enugu Governor Peter Mbah as secretary.

However, the process leading up to the convention hasn’t been smooth sailing. The zoning decisions and the planned convention have stirred controversy within the party. One of the more vocal critics has been the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike. He has issued a warning that neglecting the decisions made at the South-South Congress in Calabar could ignite further internal unrest. In a televised interview on August 4, Wike cautioned the party leadership, saying the issues needed to be resolved before proceeding with the convention, or else they risk another major crisis.

Some of Wike’s loyalists in the South, including House Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda, have also pushed back against the outcomes of the Lagos micro-zoning meeting. Their rejection adds another layer to the party’s already complex internal dynamics.

Despite the brewing discontent, the PDP appears to be receiving strong backing from its youth leaders across the country. On Sunday, youth leaders from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory came forward to voice their full support for the NEC’s zoning decisions and the planned convention in Ibadan.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the Chairman of the Forum of PDP Youth Leaders, Jamilu Kalshingi from Gombe State, assured the public of their unity behind the party’s leadership. He emphasized that the youth leaders support the decisions of the zoning committee and are confident that the convention will go ahead as scheduled. He made it clear that nothing would stop the process.

Kalshingi also took a firm stance against Wike’s criticisms. He pointed out that while Wike remains a member of the PDP, his position does not override the authority of the party’s official organs such as the NEC and the NWC. In a joint communiqué signed by Kalshingi and the forum’s secretary, Boniface Brown, the group called on aggrieved members to stay within the party and work for unity. They stressed that the PDP still has a vital role to play as a strong opposition capable of bringing positive change to Nigeria, especially in the face of the challenges posed by the current administration under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The youth forum also expressed appreciation for the efforts of the current NWC under Damagum, the Board of Trustees led by Senator Adolphus Wabara, and the PDP Governors’ Forum chaired by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State. They praised their leadership for helping to strengthen unity within the party and setting a solid foundation for the future.

As the PDP’s NEC convenes today, the hope is that adopting the zoning report will help calm internal rifts and set the party on a steady course toward its November convention. While tensions remain, especially among certain factions in the South, the general outlook within the party seems cautiously optimistic. For the PDP, what happens over the next few weeks could either deepen existing cracks or serve as the first step in rebuilding momentum ahead of future elections.