The National Disciplinary Committee set up by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is unlikely to sanction erring members before the party’s next convention.
This comes as the PDP Governors’ Forum set a February 2025 deadline for the party to convene a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, amid growing internal strife within the opposition party.
Sources within the PDP revealed that the disciplinary committee, chaired by former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tom Ikimi, has opted to pursue reconciliation, following advice from some party leaders.
This approach aims to avoid deepening divisions within the party, with hopes that the upcoming convention will ease out members accused of breaching party rules.
“The committee was intentionally formed this way to ensure its failure in disciplining certain members,” a senior PDP member told Sunday PUNCH on condition of anonymity.
The source added that the committee’s formation by the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC), contravened the party’s amended 2017 constitution.
According to the party’s constitution, the National Disciplinary Committee is to be composed of seven members. However, the current committee has 26 members, raising concerns about its legality and effectiveness.
Supporters of the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, had earlier demanded disciplinary action against perceived anti-party activities by Nyesom Wike, former governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.
In response, Wike’s allies called for similar sanctions against Abubakar’s supporters, including former governors Sule Lamido (Jigawa) and Babangida Aliyu (Niger).
To address these grievances, the NWC set up the disciplinary committee on August 21, 2024, granting it the mandate to investigate petitions and recommend sanctions to the NEC.
However, apart from Ikimi’s October 5 statement assuring fair handling of complaints, no significant progress has been reported, and the committee’s activities remain dormant three months later.
The source added, “You can’t build something on a flawed foundation. Since the composition of Ikimi’s committee does not follow these requirements, they can’t bark or bite. Any sanction they propose can be legally challenged and will be deemed null and void.”
The source said majority of members of the NWC were loyalists of a particular leader of the party.
He said, “Look at the membership—it is deliberately stacked with individuals loyal to a particular party leader who has taken control of the party structure. He has repeatedly said no one can suspend him, even daring the party to try. So, in addition to ignoring the PDP Constitution, they purposely filled the committee with his loyalists to ensure no harm came to their supporters.
“Lastly, since its inauguration three months ago, have you heard anything from this committee? A disciplinary committee that should be open, fair, and transparent is now operating in secrecy. I know many allegations have been made against several members, but has the committee invited anyone? Has any member of the party appeared before it? Given these constitutional issues and other factors, it’s clear that this committee is bound to fail.”
In a slight contradiction, two chieftains of the party told Punch in separate interviews that it was likely that the committee was ‘being cautious’ of the consequence of its action.
“Our party is already fragile; any attempt to sanction anybody will bring down the party. That is the consideration of the disciplinary committee. Even if the committee submits its report, the NWC will not act on it because of the need to avoid further crisis,” said one of the chieftains of the party.
The party leader insisted that the disciplinary committee prioritised the unity and progress of the party above the call to suspend or expel some erring members of the party.
The other chieftain, a former deputy spokesperson for the party, said the reconciliation committee, headed by a former governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, was relating with every other committee, including the disciplinary panel, to ensure that their actions did not frustrate his efforts.
He said, “What we believe is that our convention is next year. Everything should be put on hold till that time. Naturally, the convention will ease out some members, including those known and unknown enemies of the party.
“Every agitation has been suspended till the convention. Those who want to remove Damagum have also stopped their move because of the convention. If the party sanctions anybody now, it will cause another crisis. Why not wait till the convention where everything will be sorted out? The committee is not likely to do anything before the convention; that is the understanding I have.”