The leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) shows no sign of abating as rival factions aligned with Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, have refused to soften their positions, notwithstanding the intervention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Both camps, which have laid competing claims to the party’s national leadership, maintained at the weekend that they remain the authentic custodians of the PDP structure, effectively throwing cold water on hopes that INEC’s involvement would broker an immediate truce.
INEC had on Friday summoned representatives of the feuding factions to its Abuja headquarters following what it described as a flood of conflicting communications emanating from the party. The meeting brought together delegations led by Tanimu Turaki and Abdulrahman Mohammed, each representing opposing power centres within the PDP.
Explaining the commission’s decision to step in, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said the action was in line with its constitutional responsibility to monitor political parties. He added that the looming Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026, as well as the Ekiti and Osun governorship polls slated for June and July 2026, made it imperative to address the PDP’s internal disarray.
However, post-meeting signals from both camps suggested that the fault lines remain firmly entrenched.
Speaking on behalf of the Makinde-aligned bloc, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said the faction would continue to function as a political party while awaiting the verdict of the Court of Appeal on pending cases. He stressed that the engagement with INEC was merely consultative and did not confer legitimacy on any faction.
According to him, the Supreme Court has consistently held that INEC lacks the powers to determine the leadership of political parties, noting that judgments of the Federal High Court on the party’s disputed convention are already under appeal.
“The matters are before the appellate court, and everyone must await its decision. Issues around conventions and inclusion of party leaders are internal affairs, which the courts themselves have cautioned against interfering with,” Ememobong said, insisting that the bloc remained focused on repositioning the party for electoral success.
On the other side, the Wike-backed camp struck a combative note. The Acting National Youth Leader of the PDP, Timothy Osadolor, said the leadership dispute could only be resolved if all parties agreed to withdraw their cases from court and acknowledge that the Ibadan convention held in November did not amount to a valid exercise.
He argued that without such a consensus, meaningful reconciliation would remain elusive. Osadolor also dismissed the convention as a mere social gathering, alleging that several participants had since abandoned the party.
In a sharp rebuke, he claimed that some governors associated with the Ibadan meeting had defected to other political platforms, questioning their continued claim to PDP membership.
“If they still believe they belong to the PDP family, they should return openly, unless they now identify with other parties,” he said.
