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By Myke Agunwa
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has concluded plans to hold its 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Tuesday at the party’s national secretariat, Abuja
This is even as Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike has pulled out of all peace negotiations geared towards finding lasting solutions to the problems ravaging the opposition party and plans to seal the PDP headquarters and other 4,792 building in Abuja on Monday due to failure to pay grand rent.
In an announcement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba over the weekend the party stated,
“Distinguished members of NEC are hereby reminded of the scheduled 99th NEC meeting as earlier summoned to hold as follows: Date Tuesday, May 27, 2025 at PDP National Secretariat at 12 noon.”
The 99th NEC has been postponed about six time due to leadership tussle and internal wranglings within the party.
During the 98th NEC meeting on April 18, 2024, party leaders failed to resolve several critical issues. As a result, the crisis has deepened, affecting state and zonal chapters and causing significant divisions within the National Working Committee.
The 99th NEC meeting earlier scheduled to hold in August was first postponed to October 24, 2024, then rescheduled for November 28, 2024, before it was postponed indefinitely.
To calm frayed nerves and resolve a new controversy created around the office of the National Secretary which came under contention as well as resolved the ambigious judgement of the Supreme Court that complicated the matter, governors elected on the platform of the party constituted a seven man Strategy and Way Forward Committee led by former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and charged them to meet with all aggrieved members and ensure that the 99th NEC and National Convention slated for August 27 is rancour free.
Following the salvo by the South East geo-political zone that it will reconsider it’s relationship with the party if it fails to recognize it’s nominee, Hon. Sunday Ude-Okoye as Acting National Secretary to replace Sen. Samuel Anyanwu whom according to the zone, ought to have resigned when he picked the Imo State governorship ticket of the party, the committee quickly moved to Enugu where they had an interaction with the state governor.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Saraki said, “We are here in Enugu state to consult with all the leaders of our party, and Governor Peter Mbah is the leader of the PDP South-East.
“This is the first state we are coming to. We are coming to the state because we appreciate the importance of the South-East ast in the PDP family.
“In recognition of that, we are here to consult with Mbah and first commend him on the leadership role he has been playing in the party.
“This is to ensure the NEC meeting and national convention are rancour-free, smooth, and peaceful and lay the foundation for the PDP that we all wish for.
“So, we have had a very good and useful discussion, and we are going away with some of the suggestions that we have and hopefully will work on that.
“From what we have seen today, there is nothing that is insurmountable in the challenge ahead, given the spirit and the commitment of all of us, especially our leaders” Saraki told newsmen.
Meanwhile, Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike has pulled out of all the peace deals initiated by the party. Wike accused Oyo state governor Seyi Makinde and his Enugu State counterpart of undermining an earlier agreement that was to bring lasting peace to the party.
Accusing the duo of betrayal, Wike in a statement on Sunday in Abuja said,
“A meeting of the G5 was held in Lagos. In that meeting, I made it clear to the Governor of Oyo State, HE. Seyi Makinde, that he was the architect of our problems, pointing out to him that non-adherence to agreements reached was the bane of the party, and that he was the chief culprit of this anomaly. At the end of the meeting, we resolved to bury the hatchet and make progress.
“As a follow-up to the aforementioned meeting, there was an expanded meeting in Abuja involving HE. Seyi Makinde, HE. Umaru Fintri, HE. Bala Mohammed, HE, Bukola Saraki, and I in Saraki’s guest house. In that meeting, I made it clear that I had no personal problems with HE. Bala Mohammed, except that he hides under the facade of Chairman of PDP Governors Forum to serially renege on agreements. Tensions rose mightily in the meeting and it took all concerned to calm frayed nerves. At the end of the meeting, we came to some resolutions, including:
“That Senator Samuel Anyanwu remains the National Secretary of the PDP in tandem with the Supreme Court judgement.
“All legal matters relating to Rivers State must be withdrawn by the National Legal Adviser.
“The suit on the State of emergency be withdrawn forthwith.
“It is disheartening to note that even before the Bukola Saraki Reconciliation Committee began its work, the gentleman’s agreement we reached at Saraki’s Guest House was already being crudely violated. To my chagrin, Seyi Makinde had connived with Peter Mba of Enugu State to orchestrate the summoning of the meeting of so-called South-East leaders to recommend that if Ude Okoye was not adopted as Secretary, they would pull out of the PDP. I have since granted an interview to the effect that, that resolution of the South-East leaders cannot hold.
“Again, Seyi Makinde organized some people in the National Secretariat to insist that the Deputy National Secretary should act as National Secretary, in violation of the agreement earlier reached. To attempt to give credence to this farce, a letter was written by the Deputy National Secretary, calling for a meeting of the NEC of the party. Furthermore, the letter confirming the candidacy of the Governorship candidate of the party in the forthcoming Governorship elections in Anambra State, duly signed by the National Secretary, Senator Anyanwu and the acting National Chairman, was portrayed as rejected by the party through a rebuttal letter signed by the National Publicity Secretary, acting on the orders of Seyi Makinde and Peter Mba.
“All these actions are in complete violation of the agreements reached and would not do the party any good whatsoever. On the 24th of May 2025, in Jos, for instance, a well publicized and properly attended zonal elective congress of the PDP was aborted because the letter inviting INEC to the congress was signed by the Deputy National Secretary of the party. INEC refused to attend because the proper signatory recognized by law, that is Senator Samuel Anyanwu was not a signatory to the invitation notice. This is undeniably distasteful, provocative and annoying, to say the least.
“Most importantly, I had thought that we could keep the trust amongst us, but since it is now obvious that they would continue to play games to the detriment of the party, as is the case in the current debacle in the North-Central zonal elections, I have now firmly decided to pull out of all agreements hitherto reached. I have decided to fight on until justice is attained” he said.
Meanwhile Wike has ordered the Federal Capital Territory Administration to seal off the PDP Secretariat and other 4,792 other building that failed to pay the mandatory grand rent saying that the listed properties has reverted to government.
Lere Olayinka, the senior special assistant on public communications and new media to the FCT Minister in the company of The Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze and the Director of the Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima made the disclosure at a Press briefing on Friday.
Olayinka said taking possession of the properties in the Central Area, Garki, Wuse, Asokoro, Maitama, and Guzape districts will be done without considering their ownership.
“Ownership of the revoked 4,794 properties in the Central Area, Garki I and II, Wuse I and II, Asokoro, Maitama and Guzape districts, had already reverted to the FCTA, and as from Monday, next week, the government will begin to exercise its rights of ownership on the affected landed properties”.
Ahead of NEC, the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party has also slated its meeting at the NEC hall, PDP National Secretariat on Monday at 3pm
However, it is unclear if the BoT meeting will hold at the party’s Secretariat as Wike has the capacity to executive his threats by sealing the Secretariat and stationing stern looking security personnel at the gates to bar staff and BoT members from entry.