National Working Committee (NWC) of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has approved the appointment of Senator Ben Obi as Secretary of National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC) ahead of the party’s 2025 elective convention.
Gatekeepers News reports that Obi replaces Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, who defected to All Progressives Congress (APC) earlier in the week. The convention is slated to take place from November 15 to 16, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
In a statement issued in Abuja, PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba said the NWC ratified Obi’s appointment on behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC). He described Obi as a seasoned politician with decades of experience in governance and party administration.
The party also reaffirmed confidence in the convention committee chaired by Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, expressing optimism that the team would deliver a successful event.
Meanwhile, the PDP continues to grapple with defections and internal wrangling. Former Vice President Namadi Sambo’s media aide, Umar Sani, said the party is unshaken by the exit of Mbah and Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, insisting their move to the APC would not weaken the PDP’s base.
Sani alleged that the crisis within the party is being fuelled by fifth columnists outside the PDP. He said, “Let me state clearly that the PDP is not domiciled in its headquarters. We only have issues with leadership. Mbah’s defection will not rattle the PDP. Enugu remains a PDP state.”
At an emergency meeting in Abuja, the Forum of PDP State Chairmen accused the ruling APC of employing undemocratic and coercive tactics to destabilise the opposition.
The forum condemned what it described as a systematic assault on democracy through intimidation of Governors, lawmakers, and party leaders.
The forum also suspended two state chairmen — Austine Nwachukwu (Imo) and Amah Abraham Nnana (Abia) — for initiating legal actions to stop the convention. It subsequently named Edo State PDP Chairman Tony Aziegbemi as the new forum chairman.
