The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has inaugurated a reconciliation committee chaired by former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, in a bid to address internal disputes and unify the party ahead of its upcoming National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, scheduled for the end of May.
The decision emerged following a strategic meeting held on Sunday night at the Abuja residence of the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed. The meeting was a high-level gathering aimed at fostering unity within the party, which has been grappling with internal rifts and defections since the 2023 general elections.
Prominent figures in attendance included the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, although he declined to speak to the media. Also present were sitting governors such as Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), and Peter Mbah (Enugu). Former governors in attendance included Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Achike Udenwa (Imo), Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa).
From the party leadership, the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagun, former Caretaker Committee Chairman, Ahmed Makarfi, and other members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) were also in attendance.
Governor Bala Mohammed, while addressing journalists, explained that the gathering was part of deliberate efforts to ensure a peaceful and productive NEC meeting. He emphasized that the involvement of former governors was strategic, leveraging their experience to tackle existing challenges and pave the way for a successful national convention later in the year.
In response to recent high-profile defections, including that of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor Ifeanyi Okowa, and members of their cabinet to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mohammed expressed optimism. He insisted that such moves would ultimately strengthen the PDP and hinted at plans to reclaim states where the party had lost ground.
The PDP has been engulfed in a wave of internal crises post-2023 elections, notably the unresolved conflict between the current Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara, and his predecessor, Wike. Multiple attempts at mediation by various party organs — including the NWC, Board of Trustees, NEC, and PDP Governors’ Forum — have thus far failed to produce lasting solutions.
The defection wave has also hit the National Assembly, with three senators from Kebbi State — Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North), and Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South) — defecting to the APC after meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
These developments have raised alarm among opposition stakeholders, many of whom view the trend as a strategic attempt to establish a one-party state in Nigeria.
