Turaki-led Faction Dismisses Wike’s Threats
The Nyesom Wike-backed leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Abdulrahman Mohammed has distanced itself from reports of a planned convention to affirm former president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as the presidential candidate of the party, describing the move as unauthorised and capable of creating confusion within the polity.
 
But the faction of the party led by former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki, has insisted that its planned special convention to ratify the presidential candidature of Jonathan will hold as scheduled in Abuja.
 
The convention is scheduled for Saturday, May 30, 2026.
 
In a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, the Wike-backed faction said no such convention, meeting or process had been scheduled, approved or endorsed by its leadership or any recognised organ of the party.
 
The faction, therefore, urged members of the party, supporters and the general public to disregard the reports, insisting that the information being circulated in some quarters was false and misleading.
 
“The party wishes to categorically state that no such convention, meeting or process has been scheduled, approved or endorsed by the leadership or any recognised organ of the PDP,” the statement read.
 
It maintained that all its primary elections, including governorship, state assembly, National Assembly and presidential primaries had already been concluded in line with the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Electoral Act and the party’s constitution.
 
According to the faction, the exercises were peacefully conducted across the country under the supervision of INEC.
 
It also called on former president Jonathan to publicly dissociate himself from what it described as a “charade” in order to safeguard the integrity of the democratic process and preserve the credibility he earned while serving the nation.
 
The PDP further urged security agencies to investigate the source of the alleged false reports and prosecute those responsible, accusing them of attempting to create political tension in the country.
 
It warned that it would no longer tolerate acts capable of dragging the party into disrepute through misinformation and unauthorised political activities aimed at undermining its democratic structures.
 
“The PDP will henceforth not fold its arms and allow the party to be dragged into disrepute through falsehood, misinformation, and unauthorised political activities aimed at undermining its integrity and democratic structures,” Mohammed stated.
 
Reaffirming its commitment to due process, internal democracy and the rule of law, the party advised members of the public to rely only on official communications issued by duly authorised officials of the PDP.
 
However, in a statement issued on Friday by the National Publicity Secretary of the Interim National Working Committee, the Turaki-led faction alleged that proprietors of A Class Event Centre in Wuse 2, Abuja, informed them of threats by the FCT Minister to shut down the facility if it hosted the planned convention.
 
The faction maintained that it had fulfilled all contractual and legal obligations required for the event, including full payment for the venue and notification of relevant security agencies.
 
The group disclosed that its lawyers had been directed to remind the management of the event centre of the binding agreement already entered into between both parties.
 
It added that the alleged attempt to stop the gathering amounted to political intimidation and a threat to democratic freedoms.
 
“Any attempt to use force to suppress political dissent and opposition is an aberration, which must be resisted by all people of good conscience,” the statement added.
 
The faction also argued that there was no provision in the nation’s laws empowering the FCT Minister to determine which events could be held in the territory or where such events should take place.
 
“Such limitless powers are strange to a democratic republic,” the statement added.
 
The group further declared that the ratification convention for Jonathan’s presidential candidacy would proceed at A Class Event Centre, Wuse 2, Abuja, by 10 a.m. on Saturday.
 
It subsequently invited party leaders from across the states, members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and other stakeholders to attend the gathering.
 
The development is the latest twist in the deepening crisis within the PDP ahead of the 2027 general election, with rival factions laying claim to the leadership and direction of the opposition party.