Crisis Hits Boiling Point! PDP Governors Hold Emergency Talks Over Mass Defections

Amid a surge in defections and mounting internal strife, governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have convened an expanded emergency meeting in Abuja today (Sunday), bringing together former governors and key party stakeholders for high-level discussions.

A senior party insider told Sunday PUNCH that the critical meeting will not only involve serving governors but also members of the Board of Trustees and former National Assembly leaders, as the party seeks to address pressing issues threatening its unity and electoral prospects ahead of its upcoming National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting and National Elective Convention.

“The outcome of this meeting will shape future strategic engagements. It’s a defining moment for the party’s leadership and direction,” the source said.

Since the end of the 2023 elections, the PDP has grappled with serious internal divisions, further worsened by the protracted conflict between Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike. Ongoing disputes over South-South zonal leadership and the vacancy in the National Secretary position since December 2024 have deepened the crisis.

Efforts by key party organs—the National Working Committee (NWC), Board of Trustees (BoT), NEC, and the PDP Governors’ Forum—have so far failed to mend the widening rifts, with reconciliation efforts largely unsuccessful at both state and zonal levels.

This disarray has fueled frustration within the party ranks and triggered a steady wave of defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Notably, on April 23, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, and several state officials defected to the APC.

In a more recent blow, three senators from Kebbi State—Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North), and Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South)—joined the APC after meeting with President Bola Tinubu. The PDP has accused Tinubu of pushing Nigeria toward one-party dominance.

These high-profile defections have rattled the PDP and cast doubt over its readiness for the 2027 general elections.

Confirming the Abuja meeting, the Director-General of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Emmanuel Agbo, told Sunday PUNCH that the session is part of efforts to solidify party unity ahead of the convention and revisit resolutions from their last meeting in Ibadan.

He stated, “The meeting will take place in Abuja tomorrow (Sunday). Former governors and other party stakeholders have been invited. The goal is to engage those who are still committed to the PDP in deliberating on the party’s future.”