• Gov Lawal: “PDP Governors Meeting for Talks”
• Pro-Wike Group: “Makinde, others deciding Without Us”
• Makinde to Wike: “I’m Not Going to Stoop So Low”
By Abiola Olawale
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum is set to hold a crucial meeting in Gusau, Zamfara State, on Saturday, August 23, 2025, to address escalating tensions surrounding the party’s zoning formula ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The gathering, to be hosted by Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, comes as a fresh crisis looms over disagreements on the zoning of party offices and the 2027 presidential ticket.
A statement by the spokesperson for the Zamfara Governor, Sulaiman Idris, disclosed that the PDP Governors meeting in Zamfara id meant o discuss key political strategies as they navigate the current political landscape.
The statement reads in part: “Governor Dauda Lawal extends a warm welcome to his counterparts, the governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara State. The governors are convening today for an important meeting of the PDP Governors Forum.
“This meeting will provide party leaders with the opportunity to discuss pressing political issues, plan for party unity, and collaborate on developmental initiatives within their respective states.”
The New Diplomat reports that PDP is grappling with internal divisions following a “PDP Southern Zoning Consultative Summit” held on August 21, 2025, in Lagos, convened by both Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.
The summit aimed to propose a micro-zoning formula for party offices and the presidential ticket among the Southeast, South-South, and Southwest zones, respectively.
However, a coalition of southern PDP leaders rejected the meeting as “illegal, divisive, and unrepresentative,” accusing organizers of excluding key stakeholders im a bid to push what they called a hidden agenda.
The group which is reportedly aligned with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike, declared the Lagos meeting’s resolutions “null and void,” arguing that the exclusion of prominent figures undermined the unity of the party.
Their decision was contained in a statement by the state chairmen of Imo, Abia, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers, respevtively, namely Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah, Venatius Ikem, Aniekan Akpan, and Aaron Chukwuemeka, as well as the National Vice Chairman (South-East), Mr. Chidiebere Goodluck, and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mr. O. Chinda.
The statement reads in part: “The attention of the undersigned State Chairmen of the PDP from the South and some critical stakeholders has been drawn to a meeting ‘nicodemously’ summoned in Lagos, yesterday, by some persons purporting to do so on behalf of PDP members of the South tagged ‘PDP Southern Zoning Consultative Summit’ convened by the Admin Secretary, Zoning Committee of the PDP at the behest of the Chairman Zoning Committee (Governor Duoye Diri) at Ikeja, Lagos.
“The said meeting was allegedly convened in the name of the three geopolitical zones of Southern Nigeria — South-East, South-South, and South-West.
“It is highly regrettable and indeed deeply disturbing that such a meeting was convened without the courtesy of inviting several state chairmen from the South-East and South-South, as well as the duly elected National Secretary and Deputy National Legal Adviser of our great party. Even more troubling is the inexplicable exclusion of several national officers, eminent leaders, and critical stakeholders of the PDP.
“Equally concerning is the deliberate omission of most former governors from the South-East and South-South, who, by every standard of history, pedigree, and institutional memory, remain critical stakeholders in any conversation about the future direction of our party.”
However, in his reaction, Makinde rejected the criticisms, saying that all efforts are towards unifying the PDP. He said: “We have just finished the consultative meeting of the PDP zoning committee for the south. The South has taken far-reaching decisions, and in the days ahead leading to our NEC, wider consultations will also take place, and we are sure that those that have been saying all around that PDP is dead and is now a carcass, at least with the caliber of the people that you’ve seen here, sitting governors, former governors, leaders and elders, the former senate president, chairman of BOT, are all here and committed to PDP taking back its rightful position in Nigeria. So in the days ahead, some of the things discussed here, you’ll see them unfold.
“Governor Ademola Adeleke came back into this country and he went straight to Osogbo to address some governance issues. But he said whatever we decide here, he is with us.
“Governor Diri is here. Governor Peter Mbah, who couldn’t make it physically, sent the deputy governor. You have the chairman of our board of trustees here. You also have at least 12 of the 17 members of the zoning committee from the South. It’s one per state. So, you have 12 states here. From each zone, you have House of Representatives members here.
“You have senators from each of the three zones in the South. You have BoT members from the three zones in the South.
“So, yes, I won’t say maybe the organisers will score 100 percent. You don’t score 100 percent in politics, and quite frankly, they are members of the PDP. Consultation means you keep reaching out. We will also reach out and engage and even do more. We’re trying to get all stakeholders, all tendencies in the PDP together so that we can give a credible alternative to Nigerians in the years ahead. Personally, when people go low or go into the gutters, I don’t go with them.”
