Twenty-four hours after thugs invaded a meeting of its Board of Trustees, Nigeria’s leading opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, Governors Forum, rallied its members to reposition the party and changed the perception of a disunited party. At a meeting of the Governors Forum in Asaba, Delta State, on Friday, the governors took bold steps to restore orderliness and reposition the party. The forum also advised the federal government to rejig its economic policies and stem the hardship in the country.

It was the Forum’s first 2025 monthly meeting; the PDP Governors Forum Party endorsed Mr. S.K.E. Udeh-Okoye as its authentic national secretary. Twelve PDP governors attended the meeting, and Senator Bala Mohammed, the governor of Bauchi State, signed the communiqué.

The governors called on the federal government to review its macroeconomic policies, which they claimed had inflicted hardship on Nigerians.

“The Forum was pleased to see that efforts were still being made to solve the crisis in the National Working Committee (NWC) over the position of the National Secretary. It also reaffirmed its support for the Court of Appeal’s decision, and told the NWC to set up the systems needed to make the court’s decision work.

The endorsement was accompanied by a resolution affirming the Court of Appeal’s judgement, which recognised Hon. S.K.E. Udeh-Okoye, the former national youth leader, as the legitimate national secretary of the PDP. The Forum advised the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to implement the court decision accordingly.

“The Forum, having examined all the notices required by law to be given to validly convoke NEC, advised NWC to reschedule NEC to the thirteenth (13th) of March 2025.”

COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE PDP GOVERNORS FORUM MEETING IN DELTA STATE ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2025.

The PDP Governors’ Forum held its 2025/1st Monthly Meeting today, Friday, January 31, 2025, in Asaba, the capital of Delta State. Following the meeting, the PDP Governors’ Forum resolved to issue the following communiqué:

The Governors in a group photograph

The Forum employed the occasion to review the performance of member states in particular and the state of the nation in general, as well as developments in the party, as of the end of 2024; and noting the monumental socio-economic, security, infrastructure, and other challenges that confronted the nation during the period, the meeting commended governors of member states for pursuing policies and programmes that not only ameliorated the plight of the people but were also aimed at creating the foundation for sustainable development in their various states.

The meeting noted that the macroeconomic policies of the federal government have inflicted hardship and pain on the polity; therefore, the forum calls on the federal government to either revisit or rejig its macroeconomic policies to ameliorate and/or stop the hardship/pains that they have inflicted on Nigerians, as no meaningful/impactful achievements in the states will be achieved until the harsh policies are addressed.

The Forum was pleased to see that efforts were still being made to solve the crisis in the National Working Committee (NWC) over the position of the national secretary. The Forum also reaffirmed its support for the Court of Appeal’s decision and told the NWC to set up the necessary mechanisms to make the court’s decision work.

The Forum, having examined all the notices required by law to be given to validly convoke NEC, advised NWC to reschedule NEC to the thirteenth (13th) of March 2025.

While commending the country’s valiant and patriotic armed forces and security agencies for maintaining the frontline in securing the country and the gains of our gallant personnel against bandits in parts of the country, the Forum viewed with deep concern the resurgence of brazen non-state actors. It therefore calls for the strengthening of the nation’s security architecture.

The Forum expressed its gratitude to the host governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, the government, and the good people of Delta State for their hospitality and friendly disposition that have yielded the successful, well-structured, and impactful meeting; even as it equally commends the Governor for the giant strides recorded by his administration in the areas of infrastructure, environmental remediation, people empowerment, and combating insecurity.

Finally, the Forum enjoined Nigerians not to despair in the face of the prevailing hardships with the firm assurance that the PDP will remain committed to returning our wonderful nation to the glorious days of the pre-2015 era of manageable costs of living, security of lives and property, and greater unity and prosperity for all citizens.