A fresh round of confrontation has erupted within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as rival political camps loyal to Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, resume hostilities over which faction is recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the authentic leadership of the party.
The crisis intensified on Wednesday during the formal presentation of the Certificate of Return to the PDP Ekiti governorship candidate, Dr Oluwole Oluyede, at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, where the national chairman elected at the Ibadan convention, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), insisted that the party’s National Working Committee (NEC) under his leadership is the only structure acknowledged by INEC.
Turaki, who was elected alongside other NWC members during the 16 November Ibadan convention backed by PDP governors, said INEC had issued governorship election forms to his team, which, in his words, validates its authority to run the affairs of the party.
Displaying the documents to the audience, he claimed the commission had recognised their activities in Ekiti and challenged the opposing faction to produce similar evidence.
The event was attended by 30 state chairmen of the party, members of the National Assembly, NWC officials, and supporters from Ekiti dressed in uniform Ankara attire. Oluyede emerged winner of the state primary held between 8 and 9 November after polling 279 votes, defeating Funso Ayeni and Funmilayo Ogun.
Addressing the gathering, Turaki said the presence of the founding members, former governors, state chairmen and other stakeholders demonstrated the legitimacy of the newly elected national leadership. He argued that the party’s unity was no longer in doubt, adding that the governors’ forum and key organs of the PDP were fully aligned with his team.
Speaking earlier in a meeting with PDP state chairmen in Abuja, he noted that 29 chairmen were physically present while two offered apologies, insisting that those claiming leadership outside the convention “were not recognised members of the party.”
Turaki reiterated that his administration would rebuild the party from the grassroots, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of reversing the developmental gains recorded during the PDP’s 16 years in government.
He maintained that the PDP was preparing to contest power in the 2027 general elections, vowing that the party would “move Nigeria to the promised land.”
However, the faction aligned with Wike immediately countered Turaki’s claim. Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who served as National Secretary in the Wike-supported structure, said the AbdulRahman Mohammed-led Caretaker Committee remained the legally constituted leadership of the party.
He insisted that Damagum’s tenure was not duly concluded and that the 60-day caretaker arrangement announced by their camp on Sunday was legitimate.
In an interview, Anyanwu described Turaki’s statements about INEC recognition as misleading. According to him, the electoral body neither monitored the Ibadan convention nor acknowledged its outcomes. He said his faction had already notified INEC in writing of the leadership change and argued that the commission had not issued any correspondence validating Turaki’s NWC.
He challenged the governors-backed NWC to produce any INEC letter recognising their convention or their activities in states such as Osun. Anyanwu referenced an earlier incident where a former youth leader, Ude Okoye, was paraded as National Secretary, and INEC rejected the claim, saying the same “pattern of misinformation” was repeating itself.
The Wike faction went further to argue that if Turaki indeed enjoyed INEC’s recognition, his camp would not have approached a Federal High Court in Ibadan to compel the commission to say so. Anyanwu said the case was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, describing the move as evidence that the governors’ bloc was operating “without legal backing.”
He maintained that the party remained under Acting National Chairman AbdulRahman Mohammed, whom he described as the figure currently enjoying the support of “faithful members of the PDP.”
In his acceptance speech, Oluyede outlined his plans for Ekiti State, describing the state as a global symbol of scholarly excellence and integrity that had been undermined by years of administrative failures.
He pledged to revive the economy, tackle security challenges, expand access to healthcare, and promote youth empowerment. He appealed to aspirants still in court to withdraw their suits, which he described as needless distractions capable of weakening the party.
Also speaking at the event, PDP National Secretary Taofeek Arapaja criticised individuals who previously described the party as dead but were now fighting aggressively to control it. He urged the party’s candidate to reconcile with aggrieved stakeholders.
In separate remarks, Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro, represented by Senator Abdul Ningi, said the ongoing crisis was artificially created and could be resolved internally.
House of Representatives Minority Whip, Ali Isah, pledged the caucus’s support for the Turaki-led NWC and stressed that democracy must not be undermined by internal intimidation or factionalism.
With both factions continuing to trade accusations and INEC yet to make a definitive public statement confirming either faction’s authority, the PDP appears set for a prolonged confrontation that may define its preparedness for the 2026 Ekiti governorship election and its broader prospects ahead of the 2027 general elections.
