• Court bars Turaki faction from accessing national secretariat
• INEC updates website, recognises NWC after PDP convention
• INEC’s recognition of Wike’s faction deceitful, dishonest — Bode George
• Makinde risks expulsion, Fayose warns • Ashiru, Akinjide dump PDP
• Hashim: Reconciliation still possible

The trouble with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is far from over despite the conclusion of its national convention at the weekend, as more leaders and high-profile members continue to resign from the party.

Despite recognition by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the validity of Sunday’s convention organised by a faction backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is now before the courts, as a rival bloc backed by Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), intensifies its legal challenge to the party’s leadership.

The dispute, which has moved beyond internal party wrangling, is now a constitutional issue, one that will determine not just who leads the PDP but also test the limits of judicial intervention in party affairs, as tensions deepen over legitimacy and control of party structures.

In a statement by Ini Ememobong, National Publicity Secretary of the factional PDP National Working Committee aligned with Makinde, the group said it had taken the matter to court, including filing processes at the Supreme Court, to resolve all issues surrounding the party’s leadership and the disputed convention.

It also accused the Wike faction of proceeding with the convention despite ongoing proceedings at the Court of Appeal (Ibadan Division), where parties had already agreed on how the matter would proceed.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we state that the pre-Easter jamboree of APC sympathisers and members of ‘Wike’s Autocratic Party’, which they mischievously tagged a PDP convention, was held in contempt of the Court of Appeal,” the statement added.

The crisis deepened further after a ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja granted the rival faction access to the PDP national secretariat and directed security agencies to protect them while occupying the premises.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik issued the order while delivering judgment in a suit filed by the Wike faction to restrain the Makinde faction led by Kabiru Turaki from accessing the party’s national secretariat in the Federal Capital Territory. The court also directed security agencies to provide adequate protection to members of the Wike-aligned faction in accessing and using the party’s national secretariat.

In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik declared the national convention organised by the Turaki-led faction on November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan as unconstitutional, null and void. She held that the exercise, including the election of party officials, was conducted in violation of subsisting court orders. She further described the purported expulsion of Wike and his allies during the convention as a direct affront to the rule of law.

The suit was instituted by the PDP faction led by Mohammed Abdulrahman, alongside the factional National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu. The plaintiffs had sought, among other reliefs, an order restraining the police and DSS from permitting the Turaki-led leadership to access the party’s secretariat located at Wadata Plaza, Abuja.

They also requested that INEC be barred from recognising any address submitted by the Turaki faction as the party’s official office, other than what is already on record. Additionally, they urged the court to restrain the Turaki-led group from parading themselves as representatives of the PDP in any capacity. Justice Abdulmalik granted all the declaratory and injunctive reliefs sought by the plaintiffs.

The Turaki faction said it had already moved to challenge the judgment. “In response, we have directed our lawyers to immediately file an appeal and other relevant applications against this judgment,” it stated.

Following the conclusion of Sunday’s convention, INEC has updated its official website to reflect the emergence of a new National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, with Mohammed as National Chairman and Anyanwu as National Secretary.

The listing of the new leadership on INEC’s portal is seen as a major boost for Wike’s faction in the lingering leadership tussle within the opposition party. INEC’s recognition effectively lends institutional backing to the Mohammed-led leadership, potentially altering the balance of power within the PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections. The newly constituted NWC is expected to steer the affairs of the party for the next four years.

BUT former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Olabode George, has condemned the recognition of Mohammed by INEC, describing it as “deceitful and dishonest.”

In a statement, George reiterated his earlier stance that Wike and his associates were expelled from the party during a meeting in Ibadan last November, insisting that they represent only a small fraction of the PDP. He alleged that INEC’s action signals a deliberate attempt to weaken opposition parties ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

“What INEC has done by recognising Wike’s group can only spell doom for this country. It raises serious concerns about the future of our democracy,” George said, criticising the electoral body for what he described as endorsing individuals who have allegedly undermined the party.

He, however, urged party members and supporters to remain calm and await the Supreme Court’s ruling on the matter, expressing confidence that justice would prevail. “The truth must prevail, and the will of the people must stand above any form of manipulation,” he said.

Dismissing the stance of the Turaki group, former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has said Governor Makinde risks expulsion from the PDP and could lose his political stronghold in Oyo State. Fayose, who spoke at the 2026 National Convention of the PDP, said the event marked a turning point for the main opposition party following its prolonged internal crisis.

“This convention is a new beginning for the party after the long battle. It is now clear that the party is on the verge of achieving its goals. After this convention, the door is now open to come in, except for the children of perdition. Some children of perdition will not listen until they go to perdition. Governor Seyi Makinde is one of those I’m referring to. With one hand, he wants to negotiate and with the other hand, he went to the Supreme Court. We will not wait for him. He is already in suspension and after this convention, Makinde will be expelled. Let it be remembered that my name is Ayo Fayose and I’m saying it in public glare and with the ongoing he is sure to lose that election in Oyo,” Fayose added.

MEANWHILE, more leaders yesterday dumped the party in continuation of the trail of defections that had dogged the PDP since last year.

The PDP candidate in the 2023 Kaduna State governorship election, Isa Ashiru, yesterday formally resigned his membership from the party. Ashiru resigned via a letter dated March 27 and addressed to the ward chairman of Kudan Ward in Kudan Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Confirming the development to newsmen, Ashiru said he is pitching his political tent with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), signalling a strategic shift ahead of future electoral contests. Ashiru is a seasoned politician and former federal lawmaker who has remained a central figure in Kaduna politics over the past decade. He flew the PDP flag in the 2023 governorship election, where he was the closest contender to the eventual winner, Uba Sani of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ashiru contested the outcome all the way to the Supreme Court, insisting he had won the election. However, the apex court upheld Sani’s victory, citing legal and procedural grounds.

Also, former Minister of State for FCT, Jumoke Akinjide, resigned her PDP membership, ending over two decades of association with the party. In a resignation letter dated March 30, 2026, and addressed to the Ward Chairman of the party in Ward 1, Ona Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State, Akinjide said her decision takes immediate effect.

Akinjide expressed gratitude to the party for the opportunities it provided her over the years, particularly in terms of political participation and public service. Though she did not disclose her next political move, her resignation is expected to generate reactions within the political landscape of Oyo, where she remains a notable figure.

HOWEVER, a presidential aspirant of the party, Gbenga Hashim, has said that reconciliation within the party is still achievable despite the recent National Convention and judicial interventions. He said that the PDP cannot afford to sideline any major bloc within its structure, warning that continued division could weaken its standing as a formidable opposition force.

“Nothing has changed to alter the necessity for reconciliation and unity,” he said, while calling on leaders of the contending factions to urgently resume dialogue, emphasising the need to harmonise party structures in line with previous agreements.

He explained that the ongoing legal proceedings at the Ibadan Division of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court provide legitimate avenues for resolving the dispute, adding that a consent judgment remains possible if political compromises are reached.

He further underscored the importance of preserving the PDP’s founding ideals as an inclusive platform, urging stakeholders to prioritise unity over factional interests.

According to him, reconciliation efforts should now focus on resolving structural divisions within the party, including the existence of parallel National Working Committees and conflicting state structures arising from separate congresses.