Ahead of the much anticipated National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Vice President and presidential candidate of the party in 2023, Atiku Abubakar has returned to Nigeria.
Atiku had been out of the country for weeks, returned in the early hours of Tuesday, a source told LEADERSHIP.
The Ambassador Illiya Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC) was pressured into fixing the NEC meeting for April 18, having refused to hold the meeting for over one year – the NEC, the second most influential decision making body of the party after the national convention is expected to meeting every quarter as stipulated by the constitution.
The anticipated NEC meeting, according to party sources, is shaping up to be a make or mar for the party. Atiku, who is regarded as de facto leader of the party, being the presidential candidate in the last election, is expected to spearhead meetings going into the meeting.
This comes as agitations have mounted over the poor management of the party against backdrop of allegations that the party is being controlled by subterranean forces as declared by former Benue State Governor, Senator Gabriel Suswam.
Also the North Central zone has called for Damagum to relinquish the acting national chairmanship seat and allow the emergence of a substantive national chairman from the region where the party originally zoned the position to in 2021.
Recall that former Senate President Senator Iyorchia Ayu from Benue State (North Central) emerged national chairman at the party’s convention.
But Damagum, deputy national chairman (North), who hails from Yobe State (North East) was made acting national chairman in 2023 after a court order removed Ayu from office.
Although the agenda of the NEC would be defined by the NWC, sources told LEADERSHIP that the meeting might also decide on what actions to take on “party leaders who have continued to undermine the party.”
Recall that the governors openly worked against Atiku as PDP presidential candidate but also, recently reiterated their resolve to support President Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) who they supported in the 2023 election.
Atiku has been advocating for opposition leaders to unite and form a coalition if they intend to displace the ruling APC in 2027.
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