Ikpeazu, Akpoti-Uduaghan Urge Reconciliation as Wike-Backed PDP Sets Up National Convention Committee

Former Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, has called for a renewed spirit of reconciliation within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following the inauguration of the party’s national convention committee.

Ikpeazu, speaking on Saturday at a meeting of the faction loyal to FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, said the upcoming convention presents a critical opportunity for the party to heal internal divisions.

“Today is not just ceremonial; it is consequential. This convention is more than a gathering; it is a reckoning—a moment of truth,” Ikpeazu said.

He recalled the party’s recent challenges, which included internal disagreements and protracted legal battles that moved from the Federal High Court to the Court of Appeal. The appellate court’s affirmation of the national caretaker working committee, he said, represents both a legal and moral reset.

“It is an opportunity to rebuild, restore confidence, and reaffirm due process within our party,” Ikpeazu stated.

The former governor stressed that reconciliation must be central to the PDP’s rebuilding efforts. “What the PDP needs now is honest reconciliation, rooted in truth, driven by sincerity, and sustained by mutual respect,” he said, urging members to listen, admit mistakes, and forgive.

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, also appealed to former PDP senators who had defected during the leadership crisis to return to the fold.

“I am extremely elated tonight because we have a political party again,” she said. “When I joined in late 2023, we had 37 PDP senators. Today, we are only six. Many left because of the leadership crisis. To those who decamped, I say the grass is not greener on the other side—you are all welcome back.”

Both leaders emphasized the need for a smooth, transparent, and widely accepted convention to produce a credible national working committee capable of repositioning the PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections.