The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Damagum, has urged party members to unite and prepare for the task of rescuing Nigeria, stressing that the opposition still has a vital role to play in shaping the nation’s future.
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday at the Bauchi State Governor’s Lodge during an emergency meeting of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Damagum said the PDP’s mission to “rescue, redirect, and rebuild” Nigeria begins in opposition.
The meeting, attended by top party figures including Deputy National Chairman (South) Taofeek Arapaja, Acting National Secretary Koshedo Setonji, former Kaduna Governor Ahmed Makarfi, and ex-Minister Tanimu Turaki, was convened to finalise preparations for the party’s national elective convention slated for November 15–16, 2025, in Ibadan.
Damagum praised Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court for granting the PDP the go-ahead to hold its convention, calling his ruling “a victory for democracy” amid judicial intimidation.
“When I assumed office, I met a deeply divided house. What our party needed most was reconciliation, not vengeance or blame,” he said. “Every compromise I made was for the sake of the PDP, not individuals or factions, but the enduring institution that will outlive us all.”
He also criticised members who defected to join the ruling government, describing their actions as a betrayal of core beliefs. “It is not easy to be in opposition. Those who remain steadfast deserve our respect,” he added.
BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, called for reconciliation and maturity ahead of the convention, emphasising that “no ambition or grievance should override the collective interest of the PDP.”
At the end of the meeting, the BoT pledged full support for Damagum’s leadership and constituted a Reconciliation Committee chaired by Ambassador Hassan Adamu, with former Chief of Staff to President Goodluck Jonathan, Mike Oghiadomhe, as secretary.
Other members include Ugochukwu Okeke (South East), Zaynab Kure (North Central), Olagunsoye Oyinlola (South West), and Lubna Gusau (North West). The committee is expected to report back on November 11, 2025.
