The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned members engaging in political double-dealing to either recommit fully or leave the party, amid renewed calls for discipline ahead of the 2026 convention season.
Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, gave the warning on Wednesday during a high-level meeting of founding members and party elders in Abuja. Speaking bluntly, he said the PDP would no longer tolerate politicians playing both sides.
“You cannot be in PDP and in coalition with another party. It’s either you’re with us or you leave,” Damagum declared. “If you’re leaving, don’t drag us down with you. Go with dignity. But if you’re staying, show commitment.”
The event, held at the NAF Conference Centre, brought together governors, lawmakers, founding leaders, and party stakeholders in what many observers see as an attempt to steady the PDP’s ship amid internal cracks and looming defections.
Damagum reminded attendees of the sacrifices made by founding fathers like Alex Ekwueme, Solomon Lar, and Jerry Gana to birth a party that once held national sway. He said the time had come to stop papering over deep internal fractures.
“For years we’ve been trying to reconcile. Now, we must actually do it or those who can’t should leave,” he said.
Bauchi State Governor and Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Senator Bala Mohammed, reinforced the message. He questioned the logic behind defecting from a party with nationwide structures to “political startups without local government presence.”
“Some of those who left PDP before helped cost us the 2015 election, and we still welcomed them back. But today, if you’re going, go quietly. Don’t insult the platform that made you,” Mohammed said.
He praised governors like Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara) for sustaining PDP’s credibility through delivery at the state level. “They show we’re still a party of good governance,” he added.
Former Senate President Bukola Saraki urged members to stay and fix what’s broken instead of jumping ship.
“We can resolve our differences. I’ll never give up on PDP. We’ve fallen before and rose again. Let’s do it once more,” he said.
