PDP Govs Reclaim Control as Party Zones 21 Offices

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September 28, 2025
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*North-west to produce national chairman, South-west gets national secretary

*Zoning committee extends deadlines for submission of forms, screening of aspirants
*Fresh crisis looms as Damagum, Anyanwu write conflicting letters to INEC on state congresses

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

As the November 16, 2025, National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scheduled for Ibadan, Oyo State capital, approaches, the governors elected on the party’s platform may have reclaimed their influence and outwitted other stakeholders in the zoning of the party’s offices, THISDAY investigation has revealed.

This is just as the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC) of the party has extended the deadlines for the submission of completed Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms, as well as the screening of aspirants contesting for offices in the November Elective National Convention of the party.

However, a fresh crisis is brewing in the main opposition party as the National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, have issued conflicting notices to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the conduct of state congresses in three states.
THISDAY gathered that in the zoning arrangement for 21 offices, backed by the governors, the office of the National Chairman of the PDP was zoned to the North-west, foreclosing the chances of former Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State from clinching the position.

Ortom belongs to the camp of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, which has been clamouring for the position to be retained in the North-central, where the former National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, and Ortom hail from.
By pushing for the position to be retained in the North-central, Wike’s camp, it was learnt, was clearing the coast for Ortom to emerge as the next national chairman of the main opposition party in the November convention.

Investigation revealed that in their bid to outwit the FCT minister’s Integrity Group, the party’s governors and the Ambassador Umar Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC) pushed the office of the National Chairman to the North-west and the Deputy National Chairman to Ortom’s North-central zone, foreclosing the chances of the former Benue State governor.

With the zoning of the office of the Deputy National chairman of the party to North-central, Ortom is out of the chairmanship race.
In the North-west, the PDP governors are said to be pushing for the emergence of either the former governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau or the former governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, who is currently the Secretary of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party.

Under the new zoning arrangement, the office of the National Secretary is zoned to the South-west, while the office of the National Organising Secretary, the engine house of the party in all electoral matters, is zoned to the North-east.
According to the comprehensive list sighted by THISDAY, the positions of the National Chairman, Deputy National Auditor, and the National Legal Adviser are micro-zoned to the North-west.

The influential position of National Legal Adviser was previously held by the North-central geopolitical zone.
In the approved list, the positions of Deputy National Chairman (North), National Treasurer, Deputy National Financial Secretary, and Deputy National Women’s Leader are zoned to the North-central.
The North-east is allocated the positions of the National Organising Secretary, National Youth Leader, and Deputy National Publicity Secretary.

The party also assigned the positions of the Deputy National Secretary, National Financial Secretary, National Women Leader, and Deputy National Youth Leader to the South-east.
The party also assigned the positions of the Deputy National Chairman (South), National Publicity Secretary, Deputy National Treasurer, and the Deputy National Legal Adviser to the South-south, while the positions of the National Secretary, National Auditor, and Deputy National Organising Secretary were zoned to the South-west.
However, the zoning arrangement is subject to approval at the party’s National Convention.

Zoning Committee Extends Deadlines for Submission of Forms, Screening of Aspirants
Meanwhile, the zoning committee of the party has extended the deadlines for the submission of completed Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms by the aspirants contesting for offices from the earlier scheduled date of Friday, September 26th, 2025.
In the same vein, the NCOC has also approved the shifting of the date for the screening of aspirants from the earlier scheduled date of Tuesday, September 30, 2025.

In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party and Secretary of the Sub-Committee of NCOC, Debo Ologunagba, the party said that the extension was necessitated by the need to ensure all necessary arrangements for the smooth conduct of the exercise.
He said that new dates would be communicated in due course, and urged all the aspirants to note the extension and be guided accordingly.

Fresh Crisis Looms as Damagum, Anyanwu Write Conflicting Letters to INEC on State Congresses
In another development, a fresh crisis is brewing in the main opposition party as the National Chairman, Damagum, and the National Secretary, Anyanwu, have issued conflicting notices to the INEC regarding the conduct of state congresses in three states.
In a letter dated September 25, 2025, sighted by THISDAY, Damagum informed INEC that the party’s scheduled congresses in Cross River, Plateau, and Kebbi states — earlier fixed for Saturday, September 27, 2025 — had been postponed due to “unforeseen circumstances and operational logistic challenges.”

In the letter, Damagum stated that a new date for the exercise would be communicated to the electoral body in due course.
“The National Working Committee of our great party hereby postpones the state congresses in Cross River, Plateau, and Kebbi states. A new date will be communicated to the Commission,” the letter read in part.
However, barely 24 hours later, PDP National Secretary, Anyanwu, wrote a counter-letter to INEC dated September 26, insisting that the congresses would proceed as originally scheduled.

“This is to confirm to the commission that the congress will hold as originally scheduled and has not been postponed. The earlier letter signed by the National Chairman should be ignored,” Anyanwu stated.
He further warned that any communication sent to INEC without the signatures of both the National Chairman and National Secretary should not be recognised, stressing that the exercise in the three states “shall hold as earlier scheduled.”
Anyanwu confirmed to THISDAY that he wrote the said letter to INEC, explaining that the National chairman cannot write to INEC without him counter-signing.

The PDP has been grappling with leadership crises, as rival factions and party organs continue to clash over control and decision-making ahead of its elective congress and the 2027 general election.
Both the national chairman and national secretary belong to different camps in the PDP.
Damagum-led NWC is working closely with the PDP governors, while Anyanwu belongs to Wike’s camp.

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At UNGA 80, Shettima Warns against External Interference, Presence of Foreign Military in Africa

*Demands withdrawal of foreign troops from African soil

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Vice President Kashim Shettima has warned that external interference in crises on the African continent, including the presence of foreign military forces, mercenaries, and defence contractors in some member states of the African Union (AU), negates the spirit of African common defence and security policy.

The vice-president, who demanded the withdrawal of foreign troops from African soil, also advised the AU to reinvigorate diplomacy as the primary and most effective means of conflict resolution on the African continent.
Speaking while representing President Bola Tinubu at a meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council at the level of Heads of State and Governments held on the margins of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States, Shettima argued that meddling in crises on the continent is contrary to the African Conflict Prevention and Resolution Initiatives.

Shettima noted that with the current UN administration and growing interest by traditional partners in conflicts outside the African continent, it was becoming increasingly difficult for countries to shoulder the total cost of peace support operations on the continent.
He said, “Our continent must continue to maintain a diplomatic approach in its conflict prevention and resolution endeavours. Against this backdrop, we urge the Council to ensure that the concept of future peace operations, particularly those mandated by the UN, includes diplomatic and political strategies that ultimately address the root causes of conflict.

“We also urge the Council to ensure that the existing strategies for future AU PSOs include elements that would ensure that national and local institutions can effectively anticipate and manage shocks and relax tensions.”
The vice president said this is the only way the continent’s peace support operations can leave behind resilient and self-sustaining peace infrastructure wherever they find themselves.

“We further wish to underscore the current practice of proliferation of numerous peace initiatives on our continent, which counter AU’s prevention and resolution processes,” he added.
He called on the council to consider adopting a communique to address the loopholes in conflict resolution.
Shettima urged the council to consider the call for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of foreign forces from member countries.

He also told the council, “To expeditiously address obstacles to the operationalisation of the African Standby Force as well as adopt a strategy for the deployment of the African Standby Force in situations of conflict on the continent.”
He acknowledged the role played by the AU’s Peace Support Operations (PSOs), a unit designed to maintain, monitor, and build peace in Africa through peacekeeping and peace enforcement missions.

He noted, however, that the operation comes at a huge financial cost.
Earlier, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the African Union and Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union, Mr. Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, decried the surge in armed conflicts and dwindling funding for peace interventions on the continent.

He urged the member-countries to establish their own national peacebuilding and conflict prevention mechanisms.
“Prevention, indeed, must start at home and must be consistent with the United Nations Charter. Regional organisations such as the African Union, of course, regional economic commissions and regional mechanisms have a key role to play in this regard,” Onanga-Anyanga noted.

In a related development, the Vice President has identified education as the public investment with the highest returns, saying every additional year in school increases lifetime earnings and reduces the risks of fragility and conflict.
He stated this during a high-level event organised by the Permanent Missions of Italy and Nigeria, along with Global Partnership for Education (GPE), on the margins of the ongoing 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States.
The event was hosted to discuss the opportunities that investing in quality education presents to the world.

Shettima noted that well-targeted education financing addresses the root causes of instability, extreme poverty, and youth unemployment, noting that GPE multiplies impact through financing, policy support, and targeted incentives.
According to the Vice President, GPE mobilises domestic resources and co-financing, multiplying the impact of every dollar invested, just as GPE’s multiplier and co-financing mechanisms have unlocked billions in funding beyond GPE’s grants.

His words: “GPE has a record of mobilising partners and delivering results at scale. Over recent years, the partnership has approved and disbursed significant grant volumes and leveraged innovative financing to reach millions of children.
“In 2024 alone, GPE approved over $1.2 billion in new grants and mobilised more than $1.5 billion in co-financing – evidence that the partnership’s model works when it is funded and prioritised.

“It is important to acknowledge that GPE cannot fulfil its mission without predictable and adequate replenishment. In the 2021-2025 cycle, GPE raised approximately $4.2 billion, a significant achievement, yet still short of what is needed to fully transform education.”
Shettima said Nigeria is expanding early childhood access, improving teacher training, and investing in marginalised regions.

“A notable GPE grant in Nigeria is helping us to integrate religious school children into mainstream education and train teachers across states, especially to support girls’ education,” he pointed out.
The Vice President urged donors to safeguard and increase official development assistance for basic education, prioritise flexible, predictable funding to strengthen systems, and support targeted initiatives such as girls’ education accelerators that deliver significant social returns.

*Demands withdrawal of foreign troops from African soil Deji Elumoye in Abuja Vice President Kashim Shettima has warned that external interference in crises on the African continent, including the presence

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Komolafe: How Nigeria Reduced Crude Oil Losses from $7m Daily to $700,000

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) yesterday reiterated its commitment to ending the decades-long crude oil losses in Nigeria, explaining that between 2021 and 2025 crude losses fell from $7 million per day to an average of $700,000 daily.

Speaking on ARISE NEWS Channel, the NUPRC’s Chief Executive Officer, Gbenga Komolafe, recalled the several initiatives taken by the current administration to reduce oil theft, vandalism as well as metering losses.
According to him, these initiatives have proved to be game-changers.
Komolafe disputed the methodology used in a recent report, claiming that crude oil amounting to over N8.4 trillion was lost in the last four years.

Komolafe disputed the methodology used in the report, emphasising that crude oil losses shrank by 90 per cent during the period.
“As of 2021, we got a situation that we were recording about 100,000 barrels a day loss. Looking at that, if you fiscalise that against the prevailing Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) exchange rate as of then, that translates to roughly about $7 million.
“So, progressively, from 2021 coming down to 2025, we have now moved from a situation of a loss of $7 million a day to a situation where we are now witnessing roughly $700,000 a day,” the NUPRC chief stated.

Komolafe insisted that the NUPRC remains the statutory organisation in Nigeria that releases such data, explaining that even the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) relies on figures from the commission.
“So, any other authority quoting figures of production will be doing that from a point of either referencing the commission or hearsay,” Komolafe added.

He pointed to how President Bola Tinubu gave the commission marching orders to tackle crude theft.
“On assumption of duty, President Tinubu gave that marching order that the situation was clearly unacceptable, and that he wanted to see a drastic reduction. That meant that the huge leakage in federal revenue arising from the administration of crude oil needed to be addressed.
“So, if you look at $7 million to about $700,000 a day, you’re talking of a drastic reduction of 90 per cent. With the directive of Mr. President, the general security forces have been making every effort to try to curb the menace,” he added.

On other measures adopted to curb crude oil losses, Komolafe listed two regulations, which he said were intentionally designed to complement the efforts of the security forces, including the Upstream Measurement Regulation and the Advanced Cargo Declaration Regulation.

Describing them as novel, Komolafe stated that these non-kinetic measures have helped to reduce losses by tracking every molecule of crude loaded from Nigeria’s terminals to the ports of discharge.

“It is instructive to say that within this period, we’ve never had what you call measuring regulation in the effort to try to track every molecule of crude loaded from our terminals to the discharge port. So, the commission has intuitively put these two regulations in place, and the regulations are designed in a way to be implemented in two phases. We have implemented the first phase,” he explained.

He stated that in the first phase, the NUPRC carried out integrity tests on the metering devices, across all the flow lines in almost 700 points, describing the exercise as comprehensive.

“So, our objective is to ensure, and that is very critical, that every molecule of crude that is loaded from our crude terminal – we can track it on a real-time basis digitally to the discharge point,” Komolafe said.

On the current face-off between the Dangote Refinery and oil workers, Komolafe stated that although the issues involved are purely mid and downstream affairs, the parties should refrain from what could cause supply disruption in the country.

“So, we believe that parties can actually sit down and discuss and reach an amicable solution…” he advised

For years, Nigeria’s crude oil has bled through theft, pipeline vandalism, metering lapses, and weak oversight, with the loss of millions of barrels that should have powered the economy.

The impact has been severe, including dwindling export earnings, missed production targets, and mounting repair costs on the system already weighed down by inefficiencies.

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) yesterday reiterated its commitment to ending the decades-long crude oil losses in Nigeria, explaining that between 2021 and 2025