In a high-stakes political engagement, leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the commission’s national headquarters in Abuja.
The meeting comes against the backdrop of INEC’s recent rejection of the PDP’s notification to convene its 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting — a decision that has further spotlighted the internal crisis simmering within Nigeria’s main opposition party.
INEC had earlier dismissed the party’s letter of notification on the grounds that it did not conform with established electoral regulations, particularly citing ongoing disputes over the position of the PDP’s national secretary as a key point of concern.
INEC Raises Concerns Over Party’s Documentation and Internal Crisis
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who addressed the PDP delegation at the closed-door session, acknowledged the commission’s receipt of conflicting communications from party factions, stemming from the unresolved tussle over the office of the national secretary.
“The commission cannot ignore the legal and procedural implications of this unresolved leadership matter,” Prof. Yakubu was quoted as saying by a source familiar with the proceedings.
While the detailed resolutions of the meeting remain undisclosed, sources suggest that INEC has maintained its stance that party documentation must be free of ambiguities to be legally valid under its operational guidelines.
The PDP’s delegation was led by Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, and included prominent figures such as former Senate President Bukola Saraki, as well as governors Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), and Seyi Makinde (Oyo).
Their presence at the meeting underscores the political weight of the issue, as the PDP attempts to consolidate its internal structures ahead of upcoming elections and party activities.
The meeting is part of ongoing efforts by the party’s top brass to engage electoral regulators and address lingering constitutional and procedural issues threatening to weaken its internal cohesion.
The PDP has in recent months been grappling with a protracted internal rift over the position of its national secretary, with rival factions putting forward different candidates and interpretations of party guidelines.
The controversy has fueled speculations about deeper fractures within the opposition party’s leadership structure.
INEC’s refusal to recognize the disputed notice of NEC meeting signals a broader challenge for the PDP: reconciling internal differences before seeking legitimacy for key decisions at the national level.
