PDP National Convention: Damagun Ratified as Chairman as Party Expels Wike and Key Loyalists

The Peoples Democratic Party took decisive steps to resolve its prolonged internal crisis on Saturday as the party's national convention ratified Umar Damagun as its substantive National Chairman and formalised the expulsion of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike and several other senior members whose alignment with the ruling APC government had been a source of bitter internal division within the opposition party for over a year.

The convention, held after months of court battles, factional disputes, and a particularly dramatic week during which police teargas was deployed at the PDP national headquarters at Wadata Plaza in Abuja during a clash between rival factions, finally produced the kind of definitive outcome that party leaders said was necessary for the PDP to rebuild its credibility as a viable opposition force ahead of 2027.

Damagun's Ratification

Umar Damagun, who had been serving as acting national chairman following the removal of Iyorchia Ayu, was formally ratified as the substantive National Chairman of the PDP at the convention. Chairman Tony Abineri of the Edo State chapter of the PDP moved the motion for ratification, which was reportedly passed with overwhelming support from delegates present. Damagun's confirmation is significant because it settles the question of party leadership that had been contested in court by the Wike-aligned faction of the party.

Wike's Expulsion Formalised

The expulsion of Nyesom Wike, the powerful FCT Minister who had been a central figure in the PDP's post-2023 crisis, was ratified at the convention. Wike, a former governor of Rivers State who was a major financial and political force in the PDP during the 2023 campaign, had been widely accused of working against the party's presidential candidate and subsequently aligning himself with the Tinubu administration after the election. His formal expulsion removes the ambiguity that had surrounded his status within the party and allows the PDP to present a cleaner break from the divisions that marked its 2023 campaign.

The Road to Recovery

The PDP's internal crisis has been one of the most dramatic stories in Nigerian politics since the 2023 elections. The party that governed Nigeria for sixteen years lost the presidency, saw its key figures defect or collaborate with the opposition, and watched its internal structures become battlegrounds for competing factions backed by different financial interests and political networks. Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State expressed cautious optimism after the convention, saying he was hopeful that the outcome would help turn around the party's fortunes as it prepared for the immense challenge of challenging the APC in 2027.

The PDP's Board of Trustees had previously distanced itself from a leaked document purportedly from its reconciliation committee, and board member Bode George publicly insisted the party remained intact despite the turbulence. The convention outcome largely vindicates the position of those who argued that decisive action on leadership and discipline was necessary for the party to move forward credibly.