PDP caretaker committee attends INEC meeting after court nullifies Turaki-led NWC, signalling end to party’s internal crisis
The Nyesom Wike-backed Peoples Democratic Party Caretaker Committee attended the quarterly consultative meeting of the Independent National Electoral Commission at its headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
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The Acting Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed; Acting Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; and National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, represented the PDP during the high-profile session with other political parties.
Observers noted that Mohammed occupied a front-row seat designated “PDP Chairman,” while Anyanwu sat behind him at the “PDP National Secretary” position.
The committee’s participation comes after a Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan nullified the PDP National Convention held on November 15, 2025, and barred Tanimu Turaki (SAN) and several others from parading themselves as national officers of the party.
Prior to the judgment, PDP governors had supported the Ibadan Convention, which produced Turaki and members of the National Working Committee for a four-year tenure.
However, the Wike-aligned camp insisted that Mohammed and Anyanwu remain Acting National Chairman and Acting National Secretary, respectively.
The faction had previously established a 13-member caretaker committee on December 8, 2025, with a 60-day mandate to manage party affairs.
Both the governors’ bloc and the Wike-aligned faction had sought INEC recognition, but the electoral body had not acknowledged either side, intensifying legal disputes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking to PUNCH Online, Anyanwu said the court ruling has effectively ended the PDP’s internal crisis and affirmed the caretaker committee’s leadership.
He also pledged to organise a fresh convention to elect new National Working Committee members.
“Yes, we were invited yesterday as the recognised leadership of the PDP, and we are here to participate in this crucial consultative meeting between INEC and political parties to deliberate on party matters and electoral issues,” Anyanwu said.
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“The recent court judgment has effectively resolved the crisis that had been affecting the PDP. The party’s leadership remains intact under Abdulrahman Mohammed and me, and we are fully prepared to reposition the party ahead of future elections,” he added.
