The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has approved the timetable for its 2025 Elective National Convention and resolved to take legal steps to reclaim seats held by lawmakers who defected from the party.
In a communiqué issued at the end of its 101st meeting held Thursday in Abuja, the NEC expressed satisfaction with the resolution of internal disputes within the party and reaffirmed its unity, stability, and preparedness to lead the charge against what it described as the “catastrophic misrule” of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The NEC approved that the Elective National Convention—where new national officers will be elected—will take place from Saturday, November 15 to Sunday, November 16, 2025, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
To that end, the NEC mandated the National Chairman, Ambassador Iliya Damagum, and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, to formally notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the time, venue, and agenda of the convention, in compliance with relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.
The NEC also ratified the membership of both the National Convention Committee and the National Convention Zoning Committee to ensure a transparent and credible convention process.
In a significant move to protect its mandate, the NEC directed the National Working Committee to initiate legal proceedings to recover seats of lawmakers who were elected under the PDP but have since defected to other parties. Citing Sections 68(1)(g) and 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the NEC declared that such defectors have automatically forfeited their seats, as no division or merger exists within the PDP.
NEC further condemned the reported involvement of some PDP members in the activities and meetings of rival political parties, describing such conduct as disloyal and unacceptable. It urged affected individuals to recommit to the party, assuring them that concerns raised in the past are being addressed.
Reiterating its openness to alliances with like-minded citizens, the NEC said the PDP remains the platform of choice for Nigerians seeking to rescue the country from the “stranglehold of a rudderless and insensitive APC administration.”
The committee also reaffirmed the PDP’s faith in democracy and its resolve to lead the charge to restore good governance in Nigeria through the 2027 general elections.