The inauguration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Convention Committee has signaled a renewed push for unity and repositioning within the party, as key stakeholders called for reconciliation and a return of defected members.
The Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, used the occasion to appeal to former PDP senators who left the party during its internal crisis to reconsider their decision and return.
Addressing party members and the media at the event, she expressed optimism that the inauguration marks a turning point for the PDP.
“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, members of the press, I would say I’m extremely elated tonight simply because we have a political party,” she said.
“Congratulations to everyone here today. I know it’s not been easy. We’ve been on the news back and forth, and that has kept a lot of people wondering what befalls the PDP.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan recalled the steady decline in the party’s representation in the Senate, attributing it to the leadership crisis that rocked the PDP in recent times.
“When I joined, it was late November 2023… we were 37 PDP senators. But today we’re only six. I tell you, it wasn’t easy. It was almost like at every sitting, you were expecting senators to decamp,” she noted.
According to her, many of her colleagues cited internal party disputes as the reason for their defection, a situation she believes has now been addressed.
“When I asked a few of them why they were leaving the party, they mentioned the leadership crisis. So I’m saying this to my colleagues who have decamped — trust me, it’s not more greener on the other side. You are all welcome back to the PDP,” she added.
In his inaugural acceptance speech as Chairman of the PDP 2026 National Convention Committee, former Abia State Governor, Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, described the event as a critical moment in the party’s history.
“Today is not just ceremonial, it is consequential,” Ikpeazu declared. “This convention is more than a gathering, it is a reckoning. A moment of truth.”
He acknowledged the internal challenges and legal battles that had threatened the unity of the party, noting that they tested both its institutional strength and collective resolve.
“We have passed through a difficult phase… marked by internal disagreements, institutional strain, and a protracted legal battle that travelled from the Federal High Courts to the Court of Appeal,” he said.
Ikpeazu, however, described the affirmation of the National Caretaker Working Committee by the appellate court as a fresh opportunity for renewal.
“It is not merely a legal victory, it is a moral and political reset. It offers us a rare opportunity to rebuild, restore confidence, and reaffirm due process within our party,” he stated.
He emphasized that reconciliation must be central to the party’s rebuilding efforts, urging members to move beyond divisions.
“What the PDP needs at this moment is honest reconciliation, rooted in truth, driven by sincerity, and sustained by mutual respect,” Ikpeazu said.
“We must have the courage to listen to one another, the humility to admit where we went wrong, and the strength to forgive.”
The convention committee chairman charged stakeholders across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to support the process with discipline and a shared sense of purpose.
“Our mission is to deliver a smooth, transparent, and widely accepted convention that will produce a credible National Working Committee capable of repositioning the PDP for victory in the 2027 general elections,” he added.
The inauguration of the convention committee is widely seen as a crucial step toward stabilizing the PDP, rebuilding trust among members, and strengthening its position as a leading opposition party in Nigeria.
