The crisis within the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened on Tuesday, March 24, as governors in the party rejected the consensus selection of a national chairman and secretary by the Nyesom Wike-backed faction, insisting on legal redress and a review of the process.
Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Abdulrahman Mohammed emerged as consensus candidates for national secretary and national chairman, respectively, backed by Wike.
Senior PDP members aligned with the governors-backed National Working Committee (NWC) led by Tanimu Turaki, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they would pursue all legal avenues to resolve the crisis in their favour.
Meanwhile, very high-ranking members of the Wike-backed national caretaker committee, also speaking anonymously, confirmed that all geopolitical zones had agreed on consensus candidates for NWC positions ahead of the March 29 and March 30 national convention, with Anyanwu and Mohammed emerging as the approved candidates.
After nearly a year of internal conflict, the PDP remains divided into two opposing factions.
The governors’ camp, supported by Seyi Makinde (Oyo state) and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi state), held a convention on November 16 in Ibadan, Oyo state, where Turaki and other officials were elected into the NWC.
In response, the Wike-led faction established a 13-member national caretaker committee in December, appointing Mohammed as acting national chairman and Anyanwu as acting national secretary, alongside other members, to manage the party for 60 days pending a substantive convention.
On February 12, the court of appeal heard consolidated suits arising from the leadership dispute and delivered judgment on March 9.
A panel led by Justice Mohammed Danjuma affirmed an earlier federal high court ruling in Abuja, which held that the processes leading to the Ibadan convention breached the electoralaAct, the Nigerian constitution, and the PDP constitution.
Consequently, the court nullified the convention and declared the election of Turaki and other NWC members invalid.
In a related development, a separate court of appeal panel led by justice Biobele Georgewill in Ibadan allowed all parties the opportunity to pursue an amicable settlement.
Although both factions had recently shown signs of reconciliation, the governors’ positions and ongoing disagreements over the convention suggest that peace efforts may have stalled.
A source within the governors’ camp disclosed that reconciliation collapsed because the Wike-aligned faction insisted on holding the convention.
The source stated, “The reconciliation efforts have collapsed. From our side, we indicated readiness for dialogue, but when discussions were held, the Wike group insisted that our members must participate in the convention by purchasing forms and contesting. As far as we are concerned, that convention process is fundamentally flawed and illegal.
“As a group, we are determined to examine all legal options and pursue an alternative legal means to resolve the issue. We will carefully review the party’s constitution, the Electoral Act, and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, along with all related matters, and take appropriate steps to protect the party and ensure our members have a viable platform to contest.
“The NWC met today (Tuesday) for about four hours, and it was a productive session. The meeting will continue tomorrow.”
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