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The Peoples Democratic Party National Reconciliation Committee will begin its work on October 7 by meeting with party stakeholders at the zonal level.
Meanwhile, the Disciplinary Committee has decided to proceed cautiously to avoid further crises within the party.
A member of the reconciliation committee, Segun Showunmi, who aspired to be the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State in 2023, along with a Disciplinary Committee member who wished to remain anonymous, revealed this to The PUNCH.
The PDP has been embroiled in internal strife since the 2023 elections, leading to the removal of the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, and the appointment of Umar Damagum as the acting National Chairman.
In recent months, there have been persistent calls for Damagum’s removal to allow the installation of a substantive chairman, further dividing the party.
Tensions have also risen between governors elected on the PDP platform and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over the ongoing crisis in Rivers State.
The conflict escalated when the PDP National Working Committee, led by Damagum, transferred control of the Rivers PDP structure to Wike, rather than to the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
The PDP Governors’ Forum, led by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, opposed this decision, insisting that Fubara, as the sitting governor, should control the Rivers PDP.
In response to the party’s internal crises, the PDP NWC established the Reconciliation and Disciplinary Committees on August 21, chaired by former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Tom Ikimi, respectively.
In an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, Showunmi stated that the disciplinary committee would urge Wike and other party members to consider reconciliation.
He added that cases requiring more than an appeal would be referred to the committee for further action.
“We will commence work on October 7, starting at the zonal level. In each zone, the party chairmen, zonal secretaries, and those with grievances will meet with us to resolve the issues,” he said.
“We will announce the zone where we will begin. Once we do, all the relevant matters will be presented to the committee upon our arrival. If we were to call for reports now, we would be overwhelmed.
“Yes, we will reach out to Wike and other stakeholders in the PDP. But don’t deceive yourself into thinking that what the Disciplinary Committee cannot handle, the Reconciliation Committee will. They are fundamentally different.
“The role of reconciliation is to appeal to everyone, while the Disciplinary Committee deals with those who have gone too far and applies consequences. Our job is to ask for peace and understanding.
“However, there are some members who have gone beyond what can be resolved through appeals, and those cases will be left for the Disciplinary Committee to handle.”
A member of the Disciplinary Committee, who wished to remain anonymous due to a lack of authorisation to comment, revealed that the committee was moving forward cautiously.
The source mentioned that some committee members met with Damagum and a few NWC members on Monday to discuss the committee’s approach and tasks.
“Not much progress has been made in the Disciplinary Committee yet. Some of us met with the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, the National Organising Secretary, and other members of the National Working Committee on Monday. We discussed our approach and agreed that the Disciplinary Committee must proceed with caution to avoid escalating the crisis. More meetings will follow in the coming days,” the source said.
