The leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a fresh turn on Thursday as the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) sharply criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for recognising a caretaker committee aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The Turaki faction described INEC’s action as unconstitutional, provocative and capable of deepening internal tensions within the opposition party, vowing to pursue all available legal remedies to challenge the decision.
INEC, earlier on Thursday, formally recognised the Wike-backed caretaker committee by presenting its Acting National Chairman, Acting National Secretary and National Organising Secretary as the PDP’s official representatives at the commission’s quarterly consultative meeting with political parties in Abuja. The development effectively conferred institutional legitimacy on the Wike-aligned bloc amid protracted litigation over the party’s leadership.
Reacting in a statement issued by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the Turaki-led faction accused the electoral umpire of overstepping its constitutional boundaries and interfering in the internal affairs of a political party.
Ememobong said INEC ought to have exercised restraint, particularly in view of pending appeals before the Court of Appeal, warning that the commission’s action could undermine judicial processes and inflame political tensions.
“We are aware that INEC invited leaders of political parties to a meeting today and extended the invitation to some former members of our party who are purporting to lead a so-called National Caretaker Committee, whereas there is no such provision in our constitution,” the statement read.
“This action, though capable of causing unrest, will be met with all possible legal responses. INEC does not have the powers to choose a leadership for our party.”
The faction urged PDP members nationwide to remain calm and law-abiding, assuring them that the courts would ultimately determine the legitimate leadership of the party.
“We urge all our members to remain patient and hopeful that the Court of Appeal will soon resolve all cases concerning the leadership of our party,” Ememobong added.
He further maintained that the so-called “Rebirth Movement” within the PDP, under the leadership of Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, remained intact and focused on repositioning the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“We assure Nigerians that our party is steady and secure, and will ultimately overcome these challenges to emerge stronger, more united and better prepared to serve as a credible alternative to the ruling party,” the statement said.
The PDP crisis has intensified in recent weeks following a ruling by the Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, which nullified the party’s National Convention held on November 15, 2025. The court barred Turaki and several members of the NWC from parading themselves as national officers of the party, a decision that has since been appealed.
Prior to the ruling, PDP governors had openly endorsed the Ibadan convention, which produced Turaki and other NWC members for a four-year tenure, further entrenching divisions within the party.
Both the governors’ bloc and the Wike-aligned faction had separately written to INEC, seeking official recognition as the authentic leadership of the PDP. The commission initially declined to recognise either side, prompting a flurry of lawsuits and counterclaims as the internal power struggle escalated.
Despite the court ruling, Wike and his allies — including Abdulrahman Mohammed and Senator Samuel Anyanwu — have continued to assert their authority as Acting National Chairman and Acting National Secretary, respectively.
Ahead of the expiration of former PDP National Chairman Umar Damagum’s tenure on December 9, 2025, the Wike-aligned camp constituted a 13-member caretaker committee on December 8, with a 60-day mandate to stabilise the party and organise a fresh national convention.
Following INEC’s recognition, the caretaker committee has welcomed the development, pledging to convene a new convention to elect substantive members of the National Working Committee.
