On Tuesday, June 24, 2025, the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) engaged in a crucial closed-door meeting with officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the commission's headquarters in Abuja. This high-level gathering, which immediately followed a brief press interaction, was convened to address pressing issues related to the party's internal processes, upcoming electoral preparations, and particularly, the ongoing controversy surrounding the status of its National Secretary.

The meeting was prompted by INEC's rejection of the PDP's notification for its 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which was scheduled for June 30. INEC cited a significant procedural anomaly: the notification letter was signed solely by the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, failing to comply with the commission's 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, which mandate that such correspondence be co-signed by both the chairman and the National Secretary. This non-compliance highlighted a deeper internal crisis within the PDP concerning the authentic occupant of the National Secretary position.

Key figures present at the two-hour meeting included the acting National Chairman of PDP, Umar Damagum; INEC Chairman Prof Mahmood Yakubu; and a notable delegation of PDP governors such as Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Caleb Muftwang (Plateau), and Seyi Makinde (Oyo). Also in attendance were former Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Governors Ahmad Makarfi and Seriake Dickson of Kaduna and Bayelsa states respectively, Senator Abba Moro, and former PDP National Secretary Senator Ben Obi, among other top INEC officials.

During the session, INEC Chairman Prof Mahmood Yakubu expressed the commission's concerns regarding the