ABUJA — The internal crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) escalated on Monday as a faction aligned with the party’s ousted leadership announced the appointment of a new interim National Working Committee (NWC), despite an ongoing leadership dispute and a recent Supreme Court-related ruling.
The faction, which held a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, announced the appointment of Tanimu Turaki as interim national chairman and Toafeek Arapaja as interim national secretary to oversee party affairs pending a full national convention.
The meeting, reportedly attended by key stakeholders including Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, was convened by a factional Board of Trustees (BoT), which claimed it had the backing of two-thirds of NEC members.
During the session, the group declared the earlier Ibadan convention that produced the previous NWC as void, insisting that all decisions from that exercise were invalid.
Chief Esther Uduehi, a PDP founding member, moved the motion for Senator Adolphus Wabara to serve as pro-tem chairman of the NEC meeting, a motion seconded by House of Representatives caucus leader Fred Agbedi. Several prominent party figures were present, including former governors and senior party elders.
In his acceptance remarks, Turaki pledged that the faction would field candidates in all elective positions for the 2027 general elections, signaling its intention to fully function as a parallel leadership structure.
Governor Makinde described the gathering as a moment of encouragement from party elders and founding members, while also expressing concern over internal tensions, including the occupation of party offices by rival groups.
However, the rival PDP leadership loyal to the National Working Committee under the influence of Nyesom Wike dismissed the new interim arrangement as illegal and inconsistent with party rules, accusing the faction of attempting to create parallel structures.
Makinde also raised concerns over the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alleging that the commission acted prematurely in updating its records regarding political party leadership changes before the Supreme Court judgment was formally certified.
He questioned the legality of such actions, insisting that no Certified True Copy of the judgment had been made available at the time.
According to him, the NEC meeting was valid under the PDP constitution, as it was attended by the required two-thirds majority of NEC members, which he said satisfied constitutional requirements for decision-making.
Makinde further urged party members not to be discouraged by the crisis, describing the current situation as a “difficult but transitional moment” for the party, while expressing confidence in PDP’s resilience ahead of the 2027 elections.
The unfolding development highlights a widening rift within the PDP, with competing factions continuing to assert authority over the party’s national leadership structure.
