…As Govs mock ADC defectors as ‘one-chance passengers’
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday took sweeping decisions at its 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, zoning its 2027 presidential ticket to the South and confirming Ambassador Iliya Damagum as substantive National Chairman.
The NEC, after receiving the report of the Zoning Committee chaired by Bayelsa Governor, Douye Diri, resolved that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) positions remain as currently structured, with the North retaining the chairmanship while the South takes the presidential ticket. The move is seen as a bold step to reposition the PDP ahead of the 2027 general election.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, who briefed journalists after the meeting, said the NEC also expressed satisfaction with preparations for the November 15–16 elective convention in Ibadan, where new national officers will be elected. Party insiders described the Abuja meeting as a “pivotal moment” in shaping the PDP’s strategy to reclaim power from the ruling APC.
Meanwhile, the NEC also deliberated on the report of the Tom Ikimi-led disciplinary committee, which recommended sanctions against members accused of anti-party activities in the last elections, including FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike and former Benue Governor Samuel Ortom.
At the same time, the PDP Governors’ Forum hit back at the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after its leaders criticised a recent PDP governors’ dinner in Gusau, Zamfara. The ADC had branded the event an “insensitive jamboree,” accusing PDP governors of ignoring the plight of citizens mourning banditry victims.
But the PDP governors dismissed the criticism as “baseless” and described ADC members as “one-chance passengers” who joined the wrong political vehicle.
“Since their departure, PDP has become stronger and more determined. The ADC, with its sense of entitlement, was a major obstacle to unity”, the Forum’s Director-General, Dr. Emmanuel Agbo, said in a statement. He stressed that the Gusau meeting focused on insecurity and national issues, not frivolity, while condemning continued killings in Katsina, Plateau, Niger, and Benue states.
The Forum likened ADC defectors to the biblical prodigal son, saying they may be welcomed back only if they show genuine regret.
With the zoning of its presidential ticket to the South, a new chairman in place, and internal discipline on the table, the PDP is now sharpening its knives for the 2027 polls — and making it clear that the door is closing fast on disloyalty and distractions.
