Di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) dey face serious internal wahala as two major factions for inside di party dey fight for control ahead of di national convention wey go hold for Abuja dis month end. On one side, di camp wey loyal to former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, wey now be Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), don declare say dem don ready for di convention and no go allow any court action from di other faction to stop am. Di Wike-backed National Caretaker Working Committee (NCWC) wey Alhaji AbdulRaman Muhammad dey lead don talk say all preparation for di convention don finish and di event go hold as planned for March 29 and 30.
Di other faction wey Kabiru Tanimu Turaki dey lead don try to use court to stop di convention, but di Wike camp don accuse dem of trying to sabotage di party. National Publicity Secretary of di NCWC, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, talk say di Turaki group no gree attend peace meetings wey di party leadership organize to settle di matter. Mohammed explain say court rulings from Federal High Court and Court of Appeal don already settle di leadership tussle by recognizing di NCWC as di legitimate body to run PDP affairs. “We urge all members of our party and di general public to dey guided accordingly and disregard any contrary claims or misleading narratives,” Mohammed talk.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders from different political parties don begin to meet and plan possible alliance ahead of di 2027 general elections. Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and former Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson, who be two of di last PDP governors standing, don travel to Kano State to visit former presidential candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. Di meeting wey hold during di annual Kalankwa festival of di Kwankwasiyya Movement spark speculation say opposition leaders dey plan political realignment for 2027.
Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi also join di meeting in Kano, where he talk say his visit na to celebrate Sallah with Muslims and pay homage to Kwankwaso. Although Obi insist say di visit no be for political campaign, he emphasize di need for political realignment to rebuild Kano’s industrial and economic viability. “We want to change Kano. We want to build a new Kano. What we want to do is to ensure we bring back industry to Kano,” Obi talk to di crowd at di event.
Back to PDP internal matters, di two remaining PDP governors—Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State—don show different perspectives on reconciliation. While Makinde accuse anyone wey dey deal with Wike’s camp of indirectly supporting President Bola Tinubu for 2027, Bala Mohammed talk say reconciliation process na court wey midwife am, no be voluntary consensus. “Reconciliation is not something we have called for. It has been midwifed by a competent court of jurisdiction,” Mohammed talk when Makinde visit am for Bauchi for Sallah.
For another development, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, wey represent Kogi Central for Senate, don decry di sharp decline for PDP senators. She reveal say di party don lose 31 lawmakers from di Red Chamber due to di prolonged internal crisis. Akpoti-Uduaghan appeal to members wey leave di party during di height of di leadership crisis to return, saying dia experience and commitment dey needed to rebuild di party. “When I asked colleagues why they left, they mentioned internal disputes. I’m saying to them: trust me, it’s not greener on the other side. You’re welcome back to PDP,” she talk during di inauguration of di PDP National Convention Committee.
Former Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, wey di Wike camp appoint as chairman of di PDP 2026 National Convention Committee, don describe di event as critical moment for di party history. “Today is not just ceremonial, it is consequential. This convention is more than a gathering; it is a reckoning. A moment of truth,” Ikpeazu declare. He acknowledge di internal challenges and legal battles wey threaten di party unity but express hope say di convention go help reset di party.
Former Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Kaduna State Governor Ahmed Makarfi, and former Information Minister Jerry Gana dey among influential PDP members wey dey hold extensive meetings and consultations to reconcile di party two factions before di convention. Dia immediate task na to build consensus before March 29-30. Di reconciliatory talks become possible after Court of Appeal ruling wey annul di November 2025 convention in Ibadan wey produce di Turaki-led national working committee.
As di 2027 election consultations enter frenetic gear, political observers dey watch closely to see how di PDP internal crisis go affect opposition alliance possibilities. With Wike camp insisting on holding di convention and di Turaki group still dey pursue legal options, di coming weeks go determine whether PDP fit overcome its divisions or continue to dey weaken as major opposition party for Nigeria.
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