2027: PDP crisis deepens as rival blocs claim control

By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA— The crisis rocking Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, worsened yesterday as rival factions moved to assert control of the opposition party, installing parallel structures and escalating a legitimacy battle that could shape its 2027 prospects.

A bloc aligned with Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, announced the constitution of an Interim National Working Committee, NWC, following what it described as the party’s 103rd National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting in Abuja.

But a rival faction loyal to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, swiftly disowned the meeting, declaring it illegal and rejecting all decisions reached, including the emergence of a caretaker leadership.

The development comes days after a Supreme Court ruling voided the PDP’s previous leadership, deepening internal divisions and triggering a scramble for control of party structures.

At the Abuja meeting, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, said NEC was duly convened by two-thirds of members and announced the appointment of a 13-member interim NWC, led by former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki, SAN.

Wabara said the move was necessary to stabilise the party and reposition it ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting the PDP remained resilient, despite internal and external pressures.

Governor Makinde backed the process, describing it as constitutional and urged members not to lose faith amid the turmoil.

“We are going through our darkest moment now, but it is the beginning of a new order,” he said, while also raising concerns over the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in recognising party leadership.

He insisted the NEC met constitutional requirements, adding that the newly constituted interim NWC would be forwarded to INEC for recognition.

We’ll stabilise PDP, win 2027, Turaki declares

However, shortly after his inauguration, Turaki told senior party figures, including Governor Makinde, Senator Adolphus Wabara and key stakeholders that he would steady the party and lead it into the 2027 general elections despite its deepening internal crisis.

Outlining both the immediate task of stabilisation and the longer-term push to return to power, he pointed to the party’s recent history, citing the Ibadan convention that produced many of the current actors and reaffirmed the PDP’s internal strength.

Turaki used that moment to counter narratives of decline, insisting the party had weathered earlier doubts about its survival.

He said: “From a party that was struggling to stand on its feet, we fought hard to ensure that the PDP remained afloat, remained irrepressible, remained alive, and continues to stand today as the largest and leading opposition force in this country.

“We have a serious task ahead. My team and I are equal to the challenge. We wholeheartedly accept the responsibility that comes with this appointment.”

Turaki then pivoted to the 2027 elections, signalling a combative stance as the PDP prepares for upcoming contests.

He said: “We will work tirelessly to ensure that the PDP not only participates in upcoming off-season elections but wins them and, indeed, emerges victorious in the 2027 general elections.

“Let me assure you that the PDP will field candidates for all elective offices. We will present a presidential candidate who will not only contest the 2027 election but will win it, for our party and for Nigeria.”
Even so, he cautioned that the path ahead would demand unity and resilience.

“The task will not be easy, but it is certainly achievable. The PDP has done it before, has done it again, and will do it once more,” he said.

Wike bloc declares action null and void

However, the Wike-aligned bloc dismissed the entire process as a “charade,” insisting no valid NEC meeting was held.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, the faction said all resolutions from the gathering were “null, void and of no effect.”

The group also argued that the meeting failed to comply with provisions of the Electoral Act, particularly the requirement to notify INEC at least 21 days before such a gathering.

It further questioned the role of Wabara, claiming he lacked the standing to preside over party affairs, and rejected any attempt to cloak the decisions with the authority of the Board of Trustees, describing it as purely advisory.

The bloc reaffirmed its loyalty to the party’s recognised leadership, warning members and the public to disregard outcomes of what it termed an illegitimate assembly.

With both sides digging in, the PDP now faces a full-blown leadership tussle, with parallel claims likely to draw in INEC and the courts, raising fresh uncertainty over the party’s cohesion, ahead of the 2027 elections.

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