The internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a fresh turn on Tuesday as governors on the party’s platform distanced themselves from a consensus arrangement being championed by a faction loyal to Nyesom Wike.
The governors’ camp firmly rejected the emergence of consensus candidates for key national positions, insisting that the process lacks legality and must be challenged in court.
The Wike-backed faction had earlier announced Samuel Anyanwu and Abdulrahman Mohammed as consensus candidates for National Secretary and National Chairman, respectively, ahead of the party’s national convention scheduled for March 29–30.
However, senior party members aligned with the governors—who support a rival National Working Committee (NWC) led by Tanimu Turaki—have vowed to pursue all legal options to overturn the move. They argue that the process is fundamentally flawed and undermines the party’s constitution.
The PDP has remained sharply divided for months, with two major factions emerging after a disputed convention held in Ibadan last November. That exercise, backed by governors including Seyi Makinde and Bala Mohammed, produced a leadership team headed by Turaki.
But the situation escalated when a faction loyal to Wike constituted a caretaker committee in December, appointing Mohammed and Anyanwu in acting capacities to oversee party affairs pending a fresh convention.
The leadership tussle later moved to the courts, and on March 9, the Court of Appeal nullified the Ibadan convention, ruling that it violated relevant laws and the PDP constitution. While both camps initially showed signs of reconciliation, fresh disagreements—particularly over the planned convention—have stalled peace efforts.
A source within the governors’ camp revealed that talks broke down after the Wike-aligned group insisted that all aspirants must participate in the upcoming convention.
According to the source, the governors’ faction considers the process illegitimate and is determined to seek alternative legal remedies to protect its members and the party’s future.
Meanwhile, insiders in the Wike camp disclosed that zoning arrangements had already been concluded across geopolitical zones, with stakeholders agreeing on consensus candidates for various NWC positions. The North-Central zone, in particular, has backed Abdulrahman Mohammed as its choice for National Chairman.
Despite the push for consensus, not all party leaders are on board. Former presidential aspirant Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim warned that conducting another factional convention could further fracture the party and weaken its chances ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He urged both sides to honour earlier agreements aimed at achieving unity, stressing that any parallel process would result in a “lose-lose” outcome for the PDP.
Similarly, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chibudom Nwuche, called for urgent reconciliation. He appealed to aggrieved members to set aside differences and embrace dialogue, noting that unity remains the party’s strongest asset as it prepares for future elections.
With the national convention fast approaching, pressure is mounting on party leaders to resolve their differences and present a united front, or risk deepening divisions that could undermine the PDP’s electoral prospects in 2027.
