Speech by the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) His Excellency, Ambassador Umar lliya Damagum

Speech by the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) His Excellency Ambassador. Umar lliya Damagum, At the Board of Trustees Meeting of our Great Party the People’s Democratic Party PDP Today, the 5th November 2025, in Abuja

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It gives me great joy to finally inform you that, despite the initial legal hitches, the 2025 Elective National Convention of our great party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), will hold.

2. Yesterday, the 4th of November 2025, Justice Akintola delivered a landmark ruling affirming that our party has sufficiently satisfied all provisions of the law and therefore retains the constitutional right to organize its internal democratic processes—specifically, to hold the 2025 Elective National Convention.

3. I must confess that what Justice Akintola did, in this era of judicial intimidation and moral compromise, is an act of courage.

4. In a time when some have sought to manipulate our courts and intimidate our judges, it takes bravery to stand for the truth and defend the law. His judgment is not just a victory for our party, but for democracy itself.

5. And that, my dear party leaders and members, is exactly what this moment in our national trajectory demands of us as an opposition party: COURAGE.

6. Courage can be contagious, but it can also be misunderstood. When I assumed office as the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, I met a deeply divided house—factions distrusting one another, and suspicion clouding our shared purpose.

7. I realized then that what our party needed most was reconciliation, not vengeance, not anger, not blame. We needed to heal the wounds opened after the 2023 general elections.

8. At the time, some felt I was taking sides because I refused to indulge in the vindictiveness of punishing those they wanted punished. But I knew better. When they could not understand the wisdom of sheathing their swords, they left the party. Yet, even now, those I was accused of aligning with have completely misunderstood my intentions. The truth is simple: every decision I took, every compromise I made, every gesture of accommodation was for the sake of the Party.
I chose the Party, not individuals, not factions, but the enduring institution of the PDP that shall outlive us all.

9. That is what loyalty and courage means.

10. Courage is also what our next National Working Committee (NWC) must possess.
Our democracy is being dragged through the mud, and beyond that, we now face the risk of foreign interference and security threats that challenge our sovereignty. What Nigeria needs now is leadership—bold, visionary leadership—and it must begin with us.
We do not have to be in power to begin our mission to rescue, redirect, and rebuild this country. That mission begins right here, in opposition.

11. Our incoming NWC must therefore be made up of men and women of integrity, capable of rallying our base, reviving our traditional structures, and inspiring new members across the federation.

12.Dear Leaders, Ladies and Gentlemen; it is not easy to be a politician in opposition. When even those who have attained the highest political offices, abandon their core beliefs in a desperate rush to “seek connection with the centre,” we must then truly honor and appreciate those among us who remain steadfast, loyal, and committed to the core tenets of democracy.

13. To our party leaders and members, thank you for your resilience, your faith, and your belief in what unites us.
This meeting is convened to provide strategic direction for our planning toward the convention and to resolve all outstanding issues.

14. As always, I ask for sincere deliberations, good faith arguments, and unity of purpose, for the good of our great party and the nation we all serve.

Thank you all, and may God continue to bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
PDP! Power to the People!

H.E Amb. Umar lliya Damagum
National Chairman, People’s Democratic Party