From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) is set to rejig its Board of Trustees ( BoT) with the inauguration of new members of the board today.
The inauguration of the new BoT chairman, Daily Sun gathered, is part of efforts by the opposition party to reorganise itself ahead of the 2027 general elections.
This is as PDP Governors Forum engaged in a crucial meeting with former governors, who are members of the party , and other stakeholders, yesterday, over the state of the party.
A member of the PDP National Executive Committee ( NEC), Chief Eddy Olafeso, told Daily Sun that the inauguration of new BoT members will help to strengthen and reposition the opposition party to the challenges ahead.
Olafeso, one of the new BoT members to be inaugurated today, noted that the inauguration of new members will mark the rebuilding process.
“The inauguration will reinvigorate the board and make it more functional to meet the challenges ahead. It is actually the beginning of the rebuilding process for the party,” he stated.
About 85 non-statutory members of the PDP have served out their term, leaving only 42 statutory members. Consequently, some aggrieved members have queried some of the decisions of the party elders in the PDP crisis..
PDP governors who were at the meeting held last night at the Bauchi State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, at press time last night were Governors Bala Mohammed, Ademola Adeleke, Caleb Mutfwang, Seyi Makinde, Ahmed Fintiri, Peter Mbah and Lawal Dauda of Bauchi, Osun, Plateau, Oyo, Adamawa, Enugu and Zamfara states respectively.
Former governors in attendance were FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, Ahmed Makarfi, Kaduna; Liyel Imoke, Cross River; Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Osun; Achike Udenwa, Imo, Bukola Saraki, Kwara; Sule Lamido and Ibrahim Dakwambo, Gombe.
Others include Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia; Serieke Dickson, Bayelsa; Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu; Samuel Ortom, Benue; Idris Wada, Kogi; Babangida Aliyu, Niger; Adamu Muazu, Bauchi; Emmanuel Udom, Akwa Ibom and Aminu Tambuwal, Sokoto .
Daily Sun gathered that the meeting, which is coming ahead of the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, scheduled for May 27, is expected to further review the state of the opposition party, in the aftermath of the defection of top members of the party, including the Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevberi.
The PDP Governors Forum had at its meeting, in Ibadan, last month, reiterated its support for the ouster of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the party’s national secretary, and recommended that that the deputy national secretary, Setonji Koshedo assume office as acting national secretary, pending the nomination and ratification of a substantive national secretary from the South East.
The governors also proposed that the PDP NEC meets on May 27, 2025 and the constitution of “ a zoning committee that will address all issues relating to zoning of party offices and hold an early convention in August 2025, precisely on the 28th, 29th and 30th in the ancient city of Kano.”
Furthermore, the governors recommended that the zoning committee should consist of Governor Douye Diri – Chairman; Gov. Dauda Lawal – Vice Chairman and Gov. Caleb Mutfwang – Secretary, while the National Convention Committee would comprise of Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri as Chairman; Gov. Ademola Adeleke as Vice Chairman and Gov. Peter Mbah as Secretary.
The PDP National Working Committee (NWC), has since approved the proposal for Koshedo to take over as acting national secretary, as well as ratified the holding of a NEC meeting on May 27.