PDP fixes July 23 for NEC meeting, as Bode George says party remains formidable

PDP chieftain, Chief Bode George,  has disagreed with those saying the party was no longer viable, calling proponents of this notion “dreamers” and asserting the PDP remained a formidable force in Nigerian politics.

This is as the party has fixed July,  23, 2025 for its National Executive Council,  NEC, meeting,  billed to hold at a speculative venue in Kano State.

Chief George said, the party’s strong ownership structure, camaraderie, and deep-rooted history makes it an “Iroko” in the country’s political landscape.

The elder statesman, who spoke on the Monday edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today in response to a question about those who believe the PDP “is dead,” said, “No way; those are dreamers. I’m telling you they are first-class dreamers.

George praised the PDP for closing ranks and uniting after recent challenges.

The Board of Trustees member described the PDP as “the Iroko political party of Nigeria,” stating that “its roots remain deep and intact” despite recent challenges.

The PDP national secretariat in Abuja was blocked by police, preventing George and other party members from accessing the premises for scheduled NEC and BoT meetings.

George described the action as “disgraceful” and warned the Federal Government against actions that could provoke a national crisis.

He emphasised the importance of unity within the party, stating that crises were inevitable in any organisation, but it is how the party responds that matters.

Reacting to the earlier police blockade at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja, George described the action as “disgraceful,” saying he was shocked to be turned back from entering party premises.

“It’s like going back to your home, and suddenly it’s surrounded by police. I thought, What in the globe is happening?” he said.

He also said that the events had taught PDP members vital lessons.

“These experiences are a load of lessons for party members. They’ve apologised; we saw the shenanigans. But let me reassure Nigerians: there’s no organisation in the world without a crisis.

“The most sensible thing is to come back, close the door, speak some home truths, debate, and unite and that is what we’ve done today,” he added.

Earlier in the day, the PDP had relocated its Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting to the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja’s Central Business District, citing security concerns.

This followed an incident where George and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) were prevented from accessing the party’s national secretariat for scheduled meetings of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and BoT.

Addressing journalists afterwards, the chieftain warned the Federal Government against actions capable of provoking a national crisis.

“This is our property. Was there any court order stopping us from meeting in our office? Nigerians are watching. You want to turn us into North Korea or Russia? We will not allow it,” he said.

Despite the disruption, the PDP held its 100th NEC meeting at the Wadata Plaza headquarters after the police blockade was lifted.

The Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, while addressing members at the session, said the meeting would deliberate on only one agenda that is setting a date for a full NEC meeting to address the party’s national convention and other issues.

The meeting concluded with the decision to hold the next NEC session on July 23 and affirmed Samuel Anyanwu’s continuation as National Secretary.

Speaking to journalists, Bauchi State Governor and Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Bala Mohammed, said the police presence was to prevent miscreants from hijacking the meeting.

Former PDP National Secretary, Umar Tsauri, claimed that police personnel told them they were acting on “orders from above.”

The FCT Police Command, in response, denied sealing the secretariat. Its spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, said officers were deployed only to maintain law and order.

The party’s leadership crisis, particularly over the National Secretary position, remained unresolved, with both Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye laying claim to the role.

Although the Supreme Court ruled on the matter in March, both factions interpret the judgment differently. A fresh hearing is scheduled for 22 September at the Federal High Court in Abuja.