Prior to the highly anticipated National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former vice president Atiku Abubakar has returned to Nigeria.
According to information obtained by THE MATRIX, Atiku returned to the nation early on Tuesday after spending weeks abroad.
After refusing to conduct the meeting for more than a year, the National Working Committee (NEC) of the PDP, chaired by Ambassador Illiya Damagum, capitulated and scheduled the meeting for April 18.
According to THE MATRIX, the party’s constitution requires the NEC, which is the second-most powerful decision-making body after the national convention, to convene once every three months.
The anticipated NEC meeting, according to sources, is shaping up to be a make or mar one for the party.
Atiku, who is regarded as the de facto leader of the party, being the presidential candidate in the last elections, is expected to spearhead other meetings ahead of the NEC meeting.
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This comes as agitations have mounted over the poor management of the party against the backdrop of allegations that it is being controlled by external forces, as alleged by former Benue State governor, Senator Gabriel Suswam.
Also, the North Central zone has called for Damagum to relinquish the acting national chairmanship seat and allow the emergence of a substantive national chairman from the region to which the party originally zoned the position in 2021.
THE MATRIX recalls that former Senate President, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, from Benue State (North Central) emerged national chairman at the party’s last convention.
But Damagum, deputy national chairman (North), who hails from Yobe State (North East), was made acting national chairman in 2023 after a court order removed Ayu from office.
It would be recalled that some governors and party chieftains openly worked against Atiku as PDP presidential candidate in 2023 and also recently reiterated their resolve to support President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
