Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are currently meeting with top party leaders at the Bauchi Governor’s Lodge in Abuja as part of renewed efforts to address the internal divisions threatening the party’s unity and future.
The meeting, convened by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State in his capacity as Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, drew several serving and former governors as well as key national officers of the party.
Present at the gathering are Governors Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), and Peter Mbah (Enugu). Former governors in attendance include Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Achike Udenwa (Imo), Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), and Samuel Ortom (Benue).
Also present are PDP Acting National Chairman Umar Damagun, former Caretaker Chairman Ahmed Makarfi, and other members of the party’s National Working Committee.
While the agenda of the meeting was not disclosed to journalists, this marks the second public gathering of the PDP Governors Forum in 2025 and the first since the defection of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and members of his cabinet to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The PDP has been battling a wave of internal crises since the 2023 general elections, a situation that has worsened with the ongoing feud between Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, now FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Efforts by the party’s top leadership organs — including the National Working Committee, the Board of Trustees, the National Executive Committee, and the PDP Governors Forum — to reconcile warring factions have so far yielded little result.
On April 23, Governor Oborevwori and his predecessor, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, formally joined the APC alongside other state officials, dealing a heavy blow to the party’s ranks. The exodus has extended to the National Assembly, where several lawmakers, including Senators Adamu Aliero, Yahaya Abdullahi, and Garba Maidoki from Kebbi State, defected to the APC after meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
The PDP has accused the president of orchestrating a campaign to establish a one-party state by targeting opposition figures for defection, raising concerns over the future of multiparty democracy in Nigeria.
What you should know
PDP governors and party leaders are meeting in Abuja amid a deepening crisis and recent defections to the APC. The closed-door session is seen as a make-or-break moment for the opposition party, which continues to struggle with internal rifts and loss of influence since the 2023 general elections.
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