The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing escalating internal divisions, including factionalism and leadership disputes, ahead of the 2027 general election.  This disarray may drive loyal members away, harm election chances, and allow the APC or other opposition parties to gain ground in the upcoming national elections.

Ongoing internal conflict is making it difficult for the party to present unity, campaign effectively, or retain supporters. At its recent national convention in Ibadan, the PDP attempted to bring order to the party by electing a new National Working Committee, with Kabiru Tanimu Turaki as its new national chairman and Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja as its national secretary. The convention also expelled some of its members who had been identified as the main obstacles to the party’s advancement.

The expelled individuals include the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nysome Wike, and his allies, including former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose and former national secretary Samuel Anyanwu, for “anti-party activities.”

However, various conflicting court orders resulting from lawsuits filed by some party members—even before the convention where decisions to expel Wike and others were made—have created uncertainty about whether the actions taken by the parties can be smoothly implemented.

Wike and his faction rejected the convention’s results and confronted party officials at Wadata House in Abuja. The situation escalated, leading the police to use tear gas to restore order.

Following the confrontation, police have occupied the PDP’s national secretariat, Wadata Plaza, in Abuja. Officers sealed off the building with barbed-wire barricades, preventing the Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) from holding its inaugural meeting.

This situation indicates a significant institutional failure and highlights deficiencies in internal control by the party that has governed the country for 16 years. Being excluded from its own headquarters under police supervision demonstrates not only a crisis but a breakdown of institutional governance.

Turaki Backed by 26 State Chairmen, Legitimacy Affirmed but Unity Uncertain

Despite ongoing internal challenges, the governors’ faction led by Bal Mohammed of Bauchi and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has received significant support as 26 state chairmen have formally endorsed Kabiru Tanimu Turaki as the party’s National Chairman. This endorsement provides legitimacy to his leadership amid competing factions within the party.

In a statement issued by the Chairman of the Forum of PDP State Chairmen, the Edo State PDP Chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, along with 25 other state chairmen, endorsed the new Turaki-led leadership of the party that emerged from the Ibadan National Convention.

Turaki’s support base is, however, not solid enough, as some leaders in the North-West zone rejected Turaki’s endorsement, arguing that it lacked broad consultation and violated zoning understandings.

The rejection of Turaki’s leadership by the party leaders, the majority of whom are from his Northwest Zone, is a case of a prophet without home-based support. His opponents argued that choosing him as a consensus chairman undermined their region, as they believed that the position should have been zoned to their region, for them to decide their preferred choice. The former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, comes from this region.

The varied responses highlight an important fact: although Turaki enjoys support from a majority of state chapters, he lacks a broad-based consensus. The party continues to be deeply divided both geographically and politically.

PDP’s Move to Sule 

With tensions running high within the party, reports suggest that several prominent PDP figures are reaching out to former Jigawa governor Sule Lamido, one of the PDP’s founders, to seek an out-of-court settlement over ongoing leadership and convention disputes. This effort reflects some leaders’ understanding that immediate reconciliation is necessary to avoid drawn-out legal conflicts and further harm to party unity.

It should be recalled that the former Jigawa governor is one of the people who initiated the lawsuit against the Ibadan convention and the exclusion of his name from the list of candidates contesting for the party’s chairman position, a move he claimed was intended to make Turaki the only candidate for the position.

Justice Peter Lifu ruled in the case brought by former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission not to supervise, monitor, or recognise any PDP convention that excludes Lamido as a contestant.

The Judge established that Lamido was unjustly denied the opportunity to obtain a nomination form to contest for the position of National Chairman of the party, in violation of the PDP Constitution and its internal regulations.

The court affirmed that the PDP was duty-bound to create opportunities for its members to serve by adopting deliberate measures that enable them to pursue their political aspirations.

Although the party ignored the court’s ruling and proceeded with its plans, there is an understanding that the former Jigawa governor’s continuation of the legal firestorm would jeopardise the party’s ability to progress, as the outcome could lead to additional lawsuits.

Wike’s Legal Challenge: A New Obstacle for PDP

As the PDP continues to address ongoing legal challenges, the faction led by the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike, has initiated another legal proceeding against the party at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The PDP, its Acting National Chairman, Mohammed Abdulrahman, and its National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, are named in their lawsuit, FHC/ABJ/CS/250/2025, requesting that the court declare the convention and all resolutions “null, void, and of no effect.”

Furthermore, the suit seeks an order to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the outcome of the Ibadan convention, stating that the convention was held in disregard of the judgment of the court of law, thereby violating the party’s internal rules, the Electoral Act, and other statutory provisions.

This current legal battle threatens the legitimacy of the PDP’s newly elected leadership, as court rulings or a protracted legal battle would further impede the party’s expected preparations for primaries, ward congresses, and national campaign coordination in 2027.

PDP Writes CJ Federal High Court to Reject Three Judges from Its Cases

As it prepares for upcoming legal challenges, the Kabiru Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has sent a letter to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, requesting that cases not be assigned to three specific judges from the court.

In a letter, PDP National Secretary Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja expressed concern that cases involving the PDP are consistently assigned to Judges James Omotosho, Peter Odo Lifu, and Abduimalik.

The party argued that, despite having nine to twelve justices available, PDP cases were repeatedly assigned to the same three.

“I have the instruction and authority of the National Chairman of our Party, the Peoples Democratic Party and the entire members of the newly-elected National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee of our Party to write this letter to Your Lordship concerning our fear and apprehension regarding all matters either filed by our Party or against our Party at the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division.

“My lord, it is of great concern to our Party that it would appear that all matters for the past few years filed in the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, either for or against our Party have always been assigned to the following three Judges only, namely:

Hon.. Justice James Omotosho; Hon. Justice Peter Odo Lifu; Hon.. Justice Abduimalik. Even though there are other Judges numbering up to nine in the Abuja Judicial Division, who could have taken up any of these matters, as the Abuja Division has 12 Judges, the letter was partly read.

The party said its members had lately complained about the development, adding that it raised the question of whether the PDP had been fairly treated in the decisions handed down by the judges.

“Several of our Party members have recently complained bitterly to the newly elected members of the National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee about the above-mentioned scenario.

“Indeed, all these three Courts are viewed by party members and indeed the public as ‘courts of particular concern’ with regard to matters pertaining to or affecting the interest of the Peoples Democratic Party.

“My lord, it is trite that justice must not only be done in all cases and circumstances with regard to matters pending and matters filed in the Court of law, but justice must be seen to be done indeed by reasonable members of the society, including the members of our Party”, it further stated.

“Given the current challenges facing the Party, there is a high likelihood of cases being filed for or against the Party. It is in this respect that we humbly plead and beg that in no other matters or circumstances with regard to cases that may be filed by or against our party henceforth should be assigned to any of these three Judges, since justice is rooted in trust and integrity.

“Our Party wishes to reiterate the fact that we have no iota of doubt with regard to the integrity of the Judiciary, particularly the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, headed by your Lordship, in dispensing justice in all cases, other than the above-highlighted fears and apprehension of our Party.

“Kindly accept the assurances and warm regards of the National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee of our great party”, the letter read.

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