Abuja - Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declined recognition of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) proposed 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, citing non-compliance with procedural requirements outlined in the country's electoral regulations.

In an official correspondence dated June 13 and addressed to PDP’s national leadership, INEC pointed out that the notice for the June 30 NEC meeting failed to meet key stipulations in the 2022 Guidelines for Political Parties. The commission referenced Part 2(12)3, which requires that such notices be jointly signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary.

The letter, signed by INEC’s Acting Secretary, Hajiya Hau’ru Aminu, emphasized that the notice was invalid as it bore only the signature of Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, without co-signature from National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu.

"While the notification was received within the statutory 21-day window, it does not fulfill the joint-authentication requirement,” the Commission stated, urging the PDP to “be guided accordingly.”

The PDP, in its initial letter dated May 30, had informed the Commission of plans to convene the high-stakes NEC meeting at its Abuja headquarters, where top agenda items include resolution of leadership disputes, validation of zonal congresses, and review of key committee reports.

The development comes amid escalating internal friction within Nigeria’s main opposition party. The PDP has been battling a wave of defections since the aftermath of the 2023 general elections, with senior figures—including Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his deputy Monday Onyeme, and former governor Ifeanyi Okowa—defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in April, alongside several commissioners and lawmakers.

In response, the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) convened an emergency session in April to assess the widening cracks in party ranks.

Adding further complexity, Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike and fellow members of the G5 group held a meeting on June 9, advocating for the PDP to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South—an indication of deepening ideological divides within the party.

Meanwhile, former Vice President and 2023 PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has intensified consultations with other political heavyweights such as Peter Obi and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai in an attempt to forge a united opposition bloc ahead of the 2027 elections.

Though these alliance talks are ongoing, party stalwarts like Chief Bode George maintain confidence that internal reconciliation is possible and that the PDP will regroup in time for the critical NEC gathering—should it proceed with proper procedural backing.


By WafricNews Desk.