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  • “PDP Is One” — Wike Reacts as Supreme Court Voids Ibadan Convention

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is united following the Supreme Court judgment that nullified its disputed national convention.

    Wike dismisses claims of division

    Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Wike said the ruling has resolved internal disagreements and put an end to factional claims within the party.

    “The PDP is one. The judgment has put to rest reactions of factions within the party,” he stated.

    Court nullified Ibadan convention

    The Supreme Court, in a split 3–2 decision, had earlier voided the PDP national convention held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, 2025.

    The convention produced a leadership backed by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.

    In its ruling, the court held that the exercise violated existing court orders and failed to meet required conditions before proceeding.

    ADC crisis still unresolved

    Wike also commented on the situation within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), noting that its leadership crisis remains unsettled.

    “The Supreme Court referred the ADC back to the Federal High Court. The ADC is still a problem,” he said.

    Strong remarks on political actors

    The FCT minister further drew a line between political parties and individuals, expressing criticism of certain figures.

    “Not that I don’t like the party, I hate the individuals involved. I don’t like them. They are part of the people who have plunged Nigeria into problems,” Wike added.

    The comments come as political realignments continue ahead of the 2027 elections, with recent court rulings shaping party structures and internal dynamics.

     

  • Supreme Court Voids PDP Ibadan Convention, Upholds Earlier Rulings

    The Supreme Court has nullified the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November 2025, bringing an end to the prolonged legal battle over its legitimacy.

    Court faults convention process

    In a split judgment delivered on Thursday, three out of five justices ruled that the appeal filed by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction lacked merit.

    Justice Stephen Adah, who read the lead judgment, held that the appellants proceeded with the convention despite a subsisting order of the Federal High Court restraining them from doing so.

    Earlier rulings affirmed

    The apex court’s decision effectively upholds the earlier judgments of both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal.

    The lower courts had ruled that the convention violated due process, citing breaches of the party’s constitution and unresolved disputes from state congresses.

    They also noted that the exclusion of some aspirants undermined the credibility of the exercise.

    Legal battle over factional leadership

    Despite the court order, the Ibadan convention held on November 15 and 16, 2025, producing a set of party executives that became the subject of litigation.

    The Turaki-led faction had approached the Supreme Court seeking to overturn the earlier rulings and validate both the convention and its outcome.

    However, the apex court dismissed the appeal, affirming that the exercise could not stand due to its violation of valid judicial pronouncements.

    Implications for PDP structure

    The ruling is expected to have significant implications for the internal structure and leadership of the PDP.

    It also brings closure to months of legal uncertainty surrounding the legitimacy of the factional leadership that emerged from the disputed convention.

  • PDP Faction Disowns Ibadan Summit Outcome, Rejects 2027 Coalition Move

    A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State aligned with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has distanced itself from the declaration issued after the Ibadan opposition summit.

    The group said it neither participated in nor endorsed the outcome of the meeting held in the state capital.

    Claims No Knowledge of Gathering

    In a statement signed by State Chairman, Prof. Abdulrahman Akinoso, and Secretary, Dr Abiola Olaonipekun, the faction said it had no prior knowledge of the summit.

    Operating under the leadership of former Deputy Governor Hazeem Gbolarumi, the group described the meeting as lacking constitutional backing.

    “The so-called Ibadan summit is a ruse. It was merely an assemblage of individuals, not a legitimate convergence of political parties,” the statement read.

    Rejects Single Candidate Plan

    The faction also dismissed reports of an agreement to adopt a single presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.

    It insisted that no recognised organ of the PDP approved participation in the summit or any coalition arrangement.

    “For any coalition or alliance to be binding, it must be anchored on institutional authorisation, not informal gatherings lacking due process,” it added.

    No Alliance With Opposition Parties

    The group further rejected claims linking it to any alliance with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) or other opposition parties.

    It maintained that decisions of such magnitude must follow due consultation within the party’s constitutional framework.

    Focus on Internal Strengthening

    While acknowledging ongoing political realignments, the faction said its priority remains strengthening internal party structures ahead of the 2027 elections.

    It also cautioned against misinformation suggesting PDP endorsement of the Ibadan declaration, reaffirming its readiness to fully participate in the upcoming polls.

     

  • PDP, ADC Seal 2027 Alliance Plan, Push for One Presidential Flagbearer

    Leaders of opposition parties have agreed to present a single presidential candidate for the 2027 election, as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) push for a united front against the ruling party.

    One candidate strategy takes shape

    The decision was announced at an opposition summit held in Ibadan, Oyo State, where party leaders resolved to align their efforts ahead of the next general election.

    PDP factional Chairman, Tanimu Turaki SAN, disclosed this while reading the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting.

    According to him, the parties are working towards presenting a consensus candidate that will be jointly supported across opposition platforms.

    Top contenders already in the race

    The development comes as key political figures have already shown interest in the ADC presidential ticket.

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi are among those who have declared their intentions.

    Opposition raises concerns over 2027 polls

    Beyond the candidate plan, the PDP and ADC also demanded the resignation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan.

    They accused him of bias and alleged partisanship in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Warning over electoral credibility

    Reading the communiqué, Turaki said the opposition would resist any attempt to impose a sole candidate from the ruling party in 2027.

    He added that confidence in the electoral umpire had been eroded, warning that the chairman’s continued stay in office could threaten the credibility of the elections.

    “That we shall work towards fielding one Presidential Candidate for the 2027 elections… to rescue our nation and her long suffering masses,” he stated.

    The parties insisted that only a transparent and credible electoral process would ensure stability and public trust in the outcome of the 2027 polls.

     

  • Supreme Court Reserves Judgment in PDP Faction Appeal Over Nullified 2025 National Convention

    The Supreme Court of Nigeria has reserved judgment in the appeal filed by the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging the nullification of its 2025 national convention.

    Court reserves ruling

    A five-member panel of justices led by Justice Lawal Garba announced on Wednesday that a date for judgment will be communicated to all parties after lawyers adopted their final written addresses.

    The faction is asking the apex court to overturn the March 9 ruling of the Court of Appeal, which upheld earlier decisions invalidating the PDP national convention held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, 2025.

    PDP faction argues internal party matter

    At the Supreme Court, the Turaki-led group argued that the dispute is strictly an internal party affair and not subject to judicial intervention.

    The faction maintained that due process was followed in organising the convention and urged the court to set aside earlier rulings against it.

    Lower courts uphold nullification

    However, lower courts had consistently ruled against the faction, nullifying the convention and restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising its outcome.

    The courts also issued orders affecting access to the party’s national secretariat amid the leadership dispute.

    The Court of Appeal had earlier upheld two Federal High Court judgments in Abuja that barred the PDP from proceeding with the convention until it complied with provisions of the Electoral Act and the 2022 Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties.

    Key court findings

    In one ruling, Justice James Omotosho held that the party failed to conduct valid state congresses as required by law and its constitution, rendering the convention invalid.

    In another decision, Justice Peter Lifu barred the party from proceeding with the exercise until former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, was allowed to participate in the national chairmanship race.

    The court found that Lamido was unjustly excluded from the process.

    Background to the dispute

    The legal challenge was initiated by aggrieved PDP members, including state executives from Imo, Abia, and the South-South region.

    The cases have deepened the party’s internal leadership crisis, which is now awaiting final resolution at the Supreme Court.

  • Shekarau Dumps PDP After Consultations, Moves Toward APC

    Former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ending his latest stint with the opposition party.

    Resignation confirmed

    Shekarau announced his exit on Sunday at his residence along Mundubawa Avenue in Kano, following days of consultations with his political allies, including members of his Shura group.

    In a resignation letter dated April 19 and addressed to the PDP Chairman of Giginyu Ward in Nassarawa Local Government Area, he stated that his decision takes immediate effect.

    “Accept this letter please as notice of my resignation from my position as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with effect from today,” he wrote.

    Reason for exit

    The former governor said his decision came after extensive deliberations with his political group on the need to pursue their ambitions on a different platform.

    “This decision follows wide and extensive deliberations within my political group to pursue our political career in a different political party,” Shekarau added.

    Fresh political direction

    Copies of the letter were also sent to the Kano State PDP Chairman and the PDP Chairman in Nassarawa Local Government Area, signalling formal communication across party structures.

    Although he did not officially name his next destination, APC posters were reportedly seen around his residence, suggesting a likely move to the ruling party.

    Background moves

    Shekarau, who governed Kano State between 2003 and 2011 under the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), had previously defected to the PDP in 2014 after the ANPP merged with other parties to form the APC.

    His latest move comes days after reports that the APC leadership reached out to him as part of ongoing political realignments.

  • Bala Mohammed’s Planned Defection to APC Collapses Over ‘60–40’ Power Deal

    The planned defection of Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has collapsed after both sides failed to agree on a power-sharing arrangement.

    Talks between the governor’s camp and APC leadership ended in a deadlock, halting what had been weeks of high-level consultations.

    Key details

    Negotiations reportedly broke down after the APC rejected a proposed 60–40 formula that would have given the governor’s structure majority control of the party in Bauchi State.

    The formula, according to the governor’s allies, was consistent with arrangements used in similar political defections across the country.

    Why talks failed

    Chairman of the Turaki-led PDP faction in Bauchi, Sama’ila Burga, said the APC was unwilling to accommodate the existing PDP structure and the state government’s influence.

    “You cannot expect a government bringing its structure from ward level to the state not to have control of the party,” Burga said.

    He confirmed that discussions had been formally discontinued after both sides failed to reach a compromise.

    APC outreach and high-level meetings

    Burga revealed that the APC initiated the talks through the governor, with involvement from its national leadership and Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, who visited Bauchi to persuade Mohammed.

    Despite the outreach, the disagreement over control of party structures proved decisive.

    Next move for governor

    Following the collapse of talks, Mohammed and his supporters have declared their readiness to explore other political platforms.

    Burga said consultations are ongoing from the ward level to the state level as they consider fresh options outside the APC.

    “After careful consideration, it became clear that the conditions… were not accepted by the APC leadership,” he said.

    Background to the crisis

    The governor had earlier cited internal divisions within the PDP as a major reason for considering defection.

    Both the APC and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) had made moves to woo him, while meetings were also held with key stakeholders, including President Bola Tinubu.

    However, with negotiations now stalled, attention has shifted to where the governor may align ahead of future political contests.

  • Wike Storms PDP Secretariat As Fresh Tension Hits Party Leadership Crisis

    The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Friday visited the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, amid ongoing leadership crisis rocking the opposition party.

    Wike’s visit raises fresh questions

    Wike was received at the secretariat by the PDP National Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu.

    His visit comes at a time when the party remains deeply divided, with unresolved disputes over its leadership structure and control of the national headquarters.

    Crisis that shook PDP headquarters

    The PDP crisis escalated on November 18, when rival factions clashed at Wadata Plaza, leading to a breakdown of order at the party’s headquarters.

    The faction led by Tanimu Turaki (SAN), backed by Governors Seyi Makinde and Bala Mohammed, confronted the Mohammed-led group believed to be aligned with Wike.

    The situation has since remained tense, with both sides laying claim to party leadership.

    Dispute over control of secretariat

    The unsealing and takeover of the secretariat was confirmed by the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Working Committee through its spokesperson, Jungudo Mohammed.

    The faction warned against any attempt to disrupt peace, while also commending the Nigeria Police Force for what it described as professionalism and respect for the rule of law.

    Opposition faction kicks

    However, the Turaki-led faction rejected the development, describing the unsealing as contempt of court.

    Spokesman Ini Ememobong argued that the judgment cited had already been appealed, warning that the move could undermine ongoing legal proceedings.

    The latest development signals that the PDP leadership crisis is far from over, as rival factions continue to battle for control of the party.

  • PDP BoT Takes Over Party Leadership After Supreme Court Ruling

    The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken over the party’s national leadership following the Supreme Court ruling that nullified key structures.

    BoT moves to prevent leadership vacuum

    In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by BoT Chairman Adolphus Wabara, the body said its intervention was necessary to stabilise the party and avoid a vacuum.

    The trustees said the court’s decision invalidated the PDP national convention held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, 2025.

    Court ruling dissolves party structures

    According to the BoT, the judgment nullified the National Working Committee led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki and upheld the suspension of key officials, including Samuel Anyanwu, Umar Bature, and Kamaldeen Ajibade.

    It added that all decisions taken by the affected leadership, including the appointment of an acting national chairman and the formation of a caretaker committee, are now void.

    BoT assumes control of party affairs

    Following the ruling, the trustees declared that both the Turaki-led and Abdulrahman Mohammed-led structures stand dissolved.

    “The BoT hereby immediately assumes responsibility of the national working leadership of the PDP,” the statement said.

    The body described the move as a constitutional step to restore order and reposition the party.

    Emergency NEC meeting planned

    The BoT also announced plans to convene an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to appoint an interim National Working Committee.

    The interim leadership is expected to manage party affairs and prepare for the 2027 general elections in line with the Electoral Act 2026.

    Party staff have been directed to resume duties at the national secretariat under BoT supervision pending the emergence of a new leadership structure.

    Call for unity among members

    The trustees commended party stakeholders, including Governors Bala Mohammed and Seyi Makinde, for their roles during the crisis.

    They urged members to set aside differences and work together to rebuild the party.

    “The PDP has suffered enough,” the statement added, calling for reconciliation and collective action.

  • Wike’s PDP Bloc Backs Anyanwu, Mohammed, Asks Ortom to Step Aside

    The internal crisis inside the Peoples Democratic Party deepened on Tuesday as a faction loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike settled on Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Abdulrahman Mohammed as consensus candidates for National Secretary and National Chairman ahead of the party’s national convention on March 29–30.

    Governors distance themselves from the process

    Governors elected on the PDP platform swiftly distanced themselves from the consensus arrangement.

    They insisted the process was not binding on them and vowed to challenge it legally before the convention holds in Abuja.

    How the consensus was reached

    Highly placed members of the Wike-backed National Caretaker Committee, who declined to be named as they were not authorised to speak publicly, told journalists that all six geopolitical zones had agreed on candidates for National Working Committee positions.

    The National Chairman slot was zoned to the North-Central, while the National Secretary went to the South-East, specifically Imo State, where Anyanwu emerged as the consensus pick.

    According to a source who attended the North-Central caucus meeting, Wike personally appealed to former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom and former Kogi State Deputy Governor Philip Salawu to step aside for Abdulrahman Mohammed.

    “The meeting concluded with the North-Central zone agreeing that it should produce the National Chairman,” the source said.

    Religious balance was also cited as a factor.

    “They wanted the National Chairman to be a Muslim, anticipating that the person emerging would otherwise be a Christian,” the source added, noting that Anyanwu’s emergence as National Secretary from the South-East influenced the calculation.

    Zonal distributions across the country

    Other positions were distributed across zones as follows:

    In the North-West, Sokoto retains the National Organising Secretary position, Katsina takes the National Youth Leader, and Kano takes the Deputy Treasurer. Jigawa was allocated the Zonal Vice Chairman slot.

    In the South-West, the Woman Leader went to Oyo, the Treasurer to Osun, the Deputy Secretary to Ekiti, and the Zonal Vice Chairman to Lagos.

    In the North-East, Taraba received the Deputy National Chairman (North) slot, Bauchi the Publicity Secretary, Gombe the Deputy Woman Leader, Borno the Deputy Financial Secretary, and Adamawa the Zonal Vice Chairman.

    In the South-South, Rivers takes the National Vice Chairman, Cross River the Financial Secretary, Delta the Deputy National Organising Secretary, Akwa Ibom the Deputy Youth Leader, and Edo the Zonal Vice Chairman.

    Wike faction defends consensus method

    The Wike-backed PDP Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, declined to confirm or deny specific details but defended the approach.

    “As far as we are concerned, we believe consensus is the best way to go,” he said. “Once you have consensus, it means there’s consent of all stakeholders, the aspirants and the stakeholders, as opposed to imposition.”

    He added that it saves time and resources.

    “When you take away the election process, it saves a lot of time, resources, and animosity,” Mohammed said.

    The PDP national convention is scheduled for March 29–30, 2026 in Abuja. Governors aligned with the rival Tanimu Turaki-led NWC have vowed to pursue legal action if the convention proceeds on the Wike faction’s terms. With both sides claiming legitimacy, the convention could further fracture a party already battling internal division ahead of the 2027 general elections.