PDP draws battle line as 2027 reset begins
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By Luminous Jannamike
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday formally signalled the start of a broad political reset ahead of the 2027 general elections, pledging reconciliation, internal reforms and a renewed grassroots push as it positions itself as the main alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The message was delivered at the 83rd meeting of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) held in Abuja, where the BoT Chairman and former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, and the National Chairman of the party, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, addressed party leaders and stakeholders.
Wabara, in his opening remarks, congratulated the party on the successful conduct of its recent national convention, describing it as a reaffirmation of the PDP’s commitment to internal democracy, transparency and constitutional order. He also endorsed the newly elected National Working Committee (NWC), assuring it of the BoT’s full support.
“The convention was a clear demonstration of our party’s enduring commitment to internal democracy, transparency and constitutional order. It once again reaffirmed the PDP as the most organised, resilient and people-oriented political party in Nigeria,” Wabara noted.
He said early indications under the new NWC showed renewed momentum, with party structures being strengthened and confidence gradually restored across the federation, adding that these developments offered hope to Nigerians searching for a credible alternative to the current administration.
However, Wabara stressed that unity remained the party’s most urgent task, calling on aggrieved members at all levels to return to the fold in the interest of national rescue.
“This is a moment that calls for reconciliation and healing. I appeal to all aggrieved members, at every level of our party, to sheath their swords and return fully to the PDP family,” the BoT chairman said.
He warned that Nigeria was facing worsening economic hardship, rising insecurity and a growing loss of faith in governance under the APC-led government, arguing that a divided opposition would be unable to respond effectively to the moment.
Addressing recent defections, the BoT chairman urged party members not to be discouraged, insisting that the PDP’s strength lay in its deep-rooted connection with the Nigerian people rather than transient political movements.
“The 2027 elections will not be about defections or propaganda; they will be about the Nigerian people versus a failed government,” Wabara said.
Responding on behalf of the newly elected NWC, Turaki said the leadership was fully conscious of the enormity of the responsibility placed on it, describing the PDP as the largest political party not only in Nigeria, but in Africa.
He acknowledged the party’s turbulent past, marked by internal conflicts and external pressures, but said the new leadership had chosen reconciliation as a core principle of its administration.
“There is no dispute, there is no disagreement, there is no misunderstanding that is irreconcilable, provided there is a common objective and common will to grow and strengthen the party,” he said.
Turaki disclosed that the NWC had already begun extensive consultations with key party elders and stakeholders to rebuild trust and cohesion. He said engagements had been held with former military president Ibrahim Babangida, General T.Y. Danjuma, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, PDP members of the National Assembly, state party chairmen, as well as former governors and ministers produced by the party.
According to him, the consultations would continue, stressing that the PDP’s revival depended not only on elite consensus but on reconnecting with its grassroots base.
“For us in PDP, every person matters because our strength lies not in the who and who that is in our party, but in the large membership that we have at the grassroots,” he stated.
The national chairman admitted that the party had made mistakes in the past and said the new leadership was determined to correct them, both internally and in its relationship with Nigerians.
“We made mistakes, but we are waking up from the slumber. We are now ready to correct those mistakes. We call on Nigerians to trust us again,” Turaki urged.
He pledged that under the current NWC, the era of impunity and imposition would end, assuring that all party processes would be conducted fairly and transparently.
“In PDP today, there will be no more impunity. There will be no more cutting of corners. There will be no more imposition,” he said.
Looking ahead, Turaki said the party was already preparing for upcoming off-cycle elections, beginning with Ekiti and Osun states, which he described as key testing grounds ahead of 2027. He expressed confidence that the PDP would reclaim power at both national and sub-national levels.
“Your party is now in safer hands. It is being strengthened, restructured and rebranded to win elections,” he stated.
Both leaders urged party members to remain loyal and steadfast, framing the unfolding reset as a necessary step towards restoring peace, prosperity and inclusive governance in Nigeria.
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