The Chairman of the 2026 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Convention Planning and Organising Committee, Okezie Ikpeazu, says the party may have lost some elections. However, the vital credential of being the most structured party in Nigeria still resides with it.
Mr Ikpeazu stated this in his opening remarks at the 10th Elective National Convention of the PDP, backed by Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Sunday in Abuja.
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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the convention, themed “Inclusiveness, Unity and Renewal,” is aimed at electing new members of the National Working Committee (NWC) to steer the party’s affairs for the next four years.
Mr Ikpeazu, a former Abia governor, advised party delegates to look beyond the recent electoral setbacks and focus on the party’s institutional strength.
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He recalled that the last time PDP assembled at a national convention to elect its NWC members was in October 2021 at Eagle Square in Abuja.
He noted that since that moment, the party had traversed a challenging and, at times, turbulent path.
“The tenure of that NWC witnessed internal leadership strains and institutional tests at the centre.
“These developments ultimately culminated in the decisive intervention of the National Executive Committee (NEC) at its 104th meeting in December 2025, where a National Caretaker Working Committee (NCWC) was constituted in the overriding interest of stability and continuity.
“Today, however, we stand once again at the threshold of history,” he said.
The former governor noted that, notwithstanding the travails of the party since its last elective convention in 2021, its national reach remained unmatched in the Nigerian political landscape.
“Let it be clearly stated: the PDP remains Nigeria’s most experienced, most structured and most nationally rooted political party because of your loyalty and support.
“We may have lost some elections, but this vital credential still resides with us, and we need to guard it with even greater zeal at our disposal.
“It is because of your faith and steadfastness in this party that we must now resolve, from this convention, to rebuild, rebrand and reposition PDP into a stronger, more cohesive and forward-looking political force, ready to reclaim its leadership role in the governance of our dear country,” he said.
Mr Ikpeazu described the gathering as a strategic imperative and a moment of reckoning, necessitated by the internal leadership strains that led the National Executive Committee (NEC) to appoint a Caretaker Committee in December 2025.
“This moment is not merely procedural; it is profoundly democratic and historically symbolic.
“It represents renewal, rebirth and a reaffirmation of our shared commitment to the founding ideals of justice, equity and national cohesion,” he said.
Mr Ikpeazu commended Mr Wike for his support, especially by preventing the party from drifting into political oblivion during its most uncertain periods.
He described the FCT minister as a “formidable pillar of strength” and a “national leader of the party” whose consistency since 2015 had sustained PDP as a credible platform.
He also acknowledged the contributions of former Senate President Bukola Saraki and other eminent figures within the party for their roles in ensuring dialogue and bridge-building during the recent crises.
He advised the incoming NWC members to ensure unity within the party, warning that their task was onerous and urgent.
The former governor also emphasised that the survival of the party would depend on immediate and genuine reconciliation.
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“Let me also sound a note of clear responsibility: the task before you is onerous, urgent and unavoidable.
“The duty of genuine reconciliation within our party is not optional; it is fundamental.
“Your work begins immediately. You must act decisively to heal divisions, rebuild trust, restore discipline and strengthen internal democracy across all levels of the party structure,” he said.
Mr Ikpeazu urged delegates from the 36 states and the FCT to carry the spirit of the convention back to their respective constituencies.
“Let inclusiveness define our engagements. Let unity shape our actions. Let renewal guide our mission. Together, we shall rise again,” he said.
(NAN)
