INEC Rejects PDP’s NEC Meeting Notice, Gives Reasons

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected a notice from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) regarding its scheduled 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, citing non-compliance with procedural requirements.

In a letter dated June 13, 2025, and addressed to the PDP’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, INEC stated that the notification failed to meet the conditions outlined in the 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties. The Commission specifically referenced Part 2(12)3 of the guidelines, which mandates that notices for conventions, congresses, or meetings must be jointly signed by both the National Chairman and National Secretary of the party.

Signed by the Commission’s Acting Secretary, Hajiya Hau’ru Aminu, the letter emphasized that the PDP’s submission lacked the required joint endorsement. While the party submitted the notice within the 21-day timeframe, it was signed only by Damagum, with no signature from the National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu. INEC’s response instructed the PDP to take note and comply accordingly.

The PDP had notified INEC on May 30, 2025, of its plan to hold the NEC meeting on June 30 at its National Secretariat in Abuja. The meeting is expected to deliberate on pressing party matters, including unresolved leadership disputes, ratification of zonal congresses, and pending committee reports.

This development comes amid growing internal tension within the PDP, which has been grappling with a deepening crisis following the 2023 general elections. The party has seen a wave of defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), especially within the National Assembly and state chapters.

In April, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his deputy Monday Onyeme, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, and several political appointees defected to the APC, further destabilizing the PDP’s ranks. The exodus prompted an emergency meeting of the PDP National Working Committee that same month.

As internal divisions persist, prominent party figures like Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the G5 governors recently met to push for the PDP’s 2027 presidential ticket to be zoned to the South. Meanwhile, former presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has launched consultations aimed at building a new opposition coalition, engaging figures such as Peter Obi and Nasir El-Rufai in response to what he calls the threat of a one-party state under the APC.

However, not all party stakeholders are in favor of such alliances. Leaders like Bode George have insisted the PDP can overcome its internal strife and reposition itself without forming external coalitions, signaling divergent strategies ahead of the party’s contentious NEC meeting.