By Luminous Jannamike
ABUJA — The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday opened its national convention at the velodrome of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, drawing thousands of delegates from across the country, even as a deep internal split kept key blocs away and cast a shadow over the gathering.
Beneath the colour and crowd, this is not just another party convention but a contest for control, with one side moving ahead to take charge of the party structure and the other holding back, raising fresh doubts about unity and what the PDP will look like going into 2027.
Former Abia State governor and chairman of the convention planning committee, Okezie Ikpeazu, spoke on the sidelines at the venue, projecting optimism despite the visible cracks, as some key figures linked to the rival camp stayed away.
Inside the arena, the mood was lively and almost festive. Delegates in matching aso ebi by state laughed, greeted one another and slowly filled their seats ahead of voting to elect new members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
Party officials said more than 2,500 delegates from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory were expected.
From Rivers to Sokoto, Yobe to Bayelsa, and Adamawa to Abia, delegations took their places across the stands. Proceedings began at 7:30pm, and the accreditation process was smooth as people settled in.
But the absences, politically, were just as important.
Party members from Oyo State aligned with Governor Seyi Makinde were reported to be boycotting, alongside allies of Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed.
The party’s factional Board of Trustees, led by Senator Adolphus Wabara, was also not expected. And the camp linked to Kabiru Turaki was largely absent after reconciliation efforts failed.
Just two days earlier, a last-minute meeting between Governor Mohammed and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, ended without any agreement.
Those close to the process said the Wike camp made it clear the convention would go on, with talks pushed to later.
“There’s a sense in which both sides are saying, ‘you hold yours, we hold ours; we’ll either meet at the Supreme Court or reconcile later,’” a party source familiar with the talks said.
The disagreements have also spilled into how leaders will emerge, with talk of consensus candidates meeting resistance from the Turaki-aligned group.
“You can see that the atmosphere is electric, and the venue is beautiful. We expect our party to come out of this convention reinvigorated, united, and prepared to reinvent the values that made us the greatest party in Africa.
“I can’t say for certain they won’t be here. In fact, some will be here. I’ve received signals that key leaders and founding fathers who were sympathetic to that (Turaki-led) group will attend,” Ikpeazu said.
On the issue of consensus, he said: “If people agree on a consensus candidate, why should we fight? If others want to contest, the platform is open. But if there’s an understanding, it would be undemocratic to reject it outright.”
Even with the energy inside the hall, a bigger question hangs in the air: what direction the party is really heading, and whether it will present a presidential candidate in the next election cycle.