Fix PDP now or kiss 2027 goodbye — Party leaders

By Luminous Jannamike

Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have issued a blunt warning: fix internal divisions now or risk losing relevance in the 2027 general elections.

After months of crisis and courtroom battles, the party is attempting a reset, one built on unity, reconciliation, and a convention it hopes both members and the wider public can trust.

For PDP leaders, this is not routine politics; it is a defining moment that could determine whether the party regains national momentum or slips further behind.

That urgency was on full display over the weekend in Abuja at the inauguration of the PDP 2026 National Convention Planning and Organising Committee.

Those who spoke included the committee chairman, former governor Okezie Ikpeazu; the Chairman of the National Caretaker Working Committee (NCWC), Abdulrahman Mohammed; the Acting National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; and the National Organising Secretary, Umaru Bature. The convention is scheduled for 29–30 March.

“This convention is more than a gathering, it is a reckoning… a test of whether the Peoples Democratic Party can rise above its recent trials and reclaim its rightful place.

“We are not here to manage a convention. We are here to deliver credibility; to produce a competent and credible National Working Committee capable of repositioning the PDP for victory in the 2027 general elections,” Okezie Ikpeazu said.

According to him, a recent Court of Appeal ruling affirming the National Caretaker Working Committee has further strengthened the party’s push to move forward, offering, as leaders describe, a foundation for stability and renewed confidence.

“The Court of Appeal’s affirmation… is not merely a legal victory, it is a moral and political reset. It offers us a rare opportunity to rebuild, to restore confidence, and to reaffirm the supremacy of due process,” he added.

For the party leadership, moving forward also means confronting the past without pretending it did not happen.

“Our journey to this point has not been without challenges… Yet, through resilience, wisdom, and a shared commitment to unity, we have emerged not diminished, but refined,” Abdulrahman Mohammed said.

In his remarks, Samuel Anyanwu made a direct appeal to those who left during the crisis, signalling that reconciliation is now central to the party’s political strategy.

“I have the opportunity to say that PDP is a big family… Those who left out of anger, I want to assure you that PDP will regain strength and return in 2027.

“We are going to get a lot of positions… if you come to PDP to buy a form, nobody will disqualify you, because PDP is strong,” the party scribe added.

With the convention just days away, party officials are also focusing on discipline and last-minute mobilisation to ensure a smooth process.

“There will be some issues here and there, but I believe we are on the right course… what is important today is the value you give to the party, that commitment should continue to transcend in the next seven, eight days that we have for the national convention,” the National Organising Secretary said.

Leaders also acknowledged the role of key figures in holding the party together through its most difficult period, including Nyesom Wike.

Now, with the convention just days away, the real test is no longer what the PDP plans to do, but whether it can deliver on its promises of unity, fairness, and credibility at a moment when the stakes could not be higher.

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