The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday intervened in the deepening crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), holding a closed-door meeting with leaders of the rival factions at its headquarters in Abuja.
The meeting brought together representatives of the faction led by Tanimu Turaki, which is backed by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and other PDP governors, and the opposing group aligned with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and led by Abdulrahman Mohammed.
Turaki arrived at the meeting accompanied by members of his National Working Committee (NWC), party secretariat staff, and former Niger State governor Babangida Aliyu. Mohammed, for his part, was accompanied by members of his national caretaker committee, including its secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
INEC’s intervention comes amid growing concerns about parallel leadership structures within the former ruling party, a development that has heightened uncertainty about the PDP’s legal standing ahead of future elections.
The crisis, which now threatens the party’s survival, has its roots in long-standing leadership disputes and factional infighting that predate the 2023 general elections but have worsened significantly since then.
Tensions escalated following the PDP presidential primaries and national convention, particularly after the fallout between the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and Wike.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, had accused the then PDP leadership under Iyorchia Ayu of marginalising the South in the handling of the presidential primary and the selection of the vice-presidential candidate.
The disagreement led to the emergence of the G5 governors, who opposed Atiku’s candidacy because power should rotate to the South after eight years of President Muhammadu Buhari from the North.
The group, which described itself as the Integrity Group, openly and covertly backed the eventual winner of the presidential election, President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Since then, the PDP has suffered a wave of defections, with governors, senators and lawmakers leaving the party for the ruling APC and other political platforms, further weakening its cohesion.
The crisis took a sharper turn in November 2025 when a PDP faction, reportedly backed by governors including Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, convened a national convention that produced a new NWC, with Turaki emerging as national chairman.
At the convention, the faction announced the expulsion of Wike and several of his allies, including former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose; Senator Samuel Anyanwu; Bature Ajibade; Mao Ohuabunwa; former Imo State PDP chairman Austin Nwachukwu; former Abia State PDP chairman Amah Nnanna Abraham; former National Vice Chairman (South-South), Dan Orbih; and George Turnah.
The Wike-backed group rejected the expulsions and responded by unveiling parallel National Working Committee, Board of Trustees and National Executive Committee structures.
