The National Working Committee (NWC) and 2025 National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC) of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Wednesday, insisted that the proposed national convention of the party would go ahead as planned this weekend.
In a statement by PDP National Publicity Secretary, and Secretary, Publicity and Communication Sub-Committee (NCOC), Hon. Debo Ologunagba, the party informed all members and the public that its 2025 National Convention had not been postponed, but would go on as scheduled on Saturday, 15th to Sunday, 16th November, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Ologunagba said NWC and NCOC urged party members and Nigerians, in general, to disregard misleading claims being peddled to the contrary by some individuals, allegedly, recruited by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in its failed attempt to stop the PDP national convention.
Ologunagba stated, ‘’We are aware of the plots by the APC to destabilise the opposition and impose a one-party state in the country, a design that will be lawfully resisted.
‘’The NCOC and the party will continue to work assiduously round the clock to ensure a successful National Convention in Ibadan as scheduled.
‘’While thanking Nigerians for their overwhelming support for our party, the NCOC welcomes all delegates, party leaders, officials and all supporters of the PDP, who have already started arriving Ibadan for the National Convention.”
However, former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, said the crisis rocking PDP could only be resolved by addressing its leadership failures, stating that the party has decayed from the head.
But former National Vice Chairman of PDP, Eddy Olafeso, accused those opposing the party’s national convention of working to establish a one-party state in Nigeria.
Fayose, who spoke during a television programme, said the opposition party was “decaying from the head”.
According to him, “When fish decays from the body, you can salvage it, but when it decays from the head, you cannot salvage it. Currently, the PDP has decayed from the head.”
Fayose said he had been open about the party’s internal issues and had repeatedly warned that PDP was in trouble.
He stated, “I have not come here for one day to deceive Nigerians about PDP, and I’ve not hidden the fact that I will never leave PDP.
“I have also not hidden the fact that I am a great supporter of the president, as a Yoruba man. I stand to be corrected, and I have said severally that PDP is in trouble.”
Fayose said he had previously predicted that three PDP governors would defect, adding that his warning has already played out.
He said, “After my visit here three weeks ago, Governor Diri left. He was actually the chairman of the (PDP) campaign screening committee, but he left. Governor of Enugu left. And the third one is governor of Taraba, who was handed over by the president to the national chairman of the APC.”
Fayose said another governor was preparing to leave PDP, adding that more defections will follow.
According to him, “Another one will leave very soon. Governor of Plateau will leave. But I’m telling you again, after the governor of Plateau, another governor will leave. When I come back here, I will remind you again.”
However, Olafeso, who spoke alongside Fayose on the programme, accused those opposing the party’s national convention of working to establish a one-party state.
Reacting to the Federal High Court’s order stopping the PDP from holding its national convention scheduled for November 15 to 16 in Ibadan, Olafeso described the decision as “the climax of judicial rascality”.
He stated, “The restraining order from the Federal High Court today against our scheduled convention did not come as a shock to us.
“A group is focused on ensuring that they destroy the party completely, but we will not allow it. Good will prevail over evil.”
Olafeso insisted that the party will not be deterred by the ruling, expressing optimism that the convention would still hold.
“We will not allow this. I’m energised, like many of our colleagues, that this shall not stand. The truth and justice must prevail,” he stated.
Chuks Okocha
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