BREAKING: PDP Crisis Deepens as Abdulrahman Faction Performs Sudden U-Turn on Convention

Barely 24 hours after the Mohammed Abdulrahman-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fixed March 28 as its national convention date, the camp, on Tuesday, reversed itself.

Rising from a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at the residence of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, in Abuja, on Monday, the party had fixed March 28 to 29 as the national convention dates.

However, on Tuesday, it reversed the decision, announcing March 29 to March 30 instead as the new dates.

The new dates were decided at a meeting of the caretaker committee of the camp, which is backed by Wike.

The national publicity secretary of the committee, Mr Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, told newsmen in Abuja that the change in dates was done “after careful consideration of certain factors.” He, however, did not disclose the factors.

The committee meeting was held at the Wuye office of the National Secretary of the camp, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

The NEC meeting had also dissolved the North-West and South-West Zonal Committees of the party.

Mohammed stated: “Recall that yesterday [Monday], during the NEC meeting, a date was announced for the national convention of the party, which was billed to hold on the 28th and 29th of March.

“However, after careful consideration of certain factors, the date has been slightly adjusted for the convention to take place on the 29th to the 30th of March, instead of the earlier 28th–29th of March.

“Secondly, the NEC working committee has equally dissolved the North-West, South-West, and Plateau State zonal committees. The zonal committees of the PDP will have a caretaker committee appointed soon.

“Furthermore, the timetable approved for the congresses in the states, zonal, and ward congresses will take effect as approved by NEC.

“The National Caretaker Working Committee will consult widely before the announcement of the National Convention Planning Committee.

“These are the resolutions, or these are major decisions that have been reached after today’s National Caretaker Working Committee meeting.”

An Ibadan Federal High Court had, on Friday last week, annulled the November 15 convention of the party, held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The court held that the party could only be governed by a caretaker committee for now.

The convention had produced the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

The Turaki camp had since appealed the judgment and also filed for a stay of execution of the decision of the lower court.

Meanwhile, in the ongoing twists and turns to the leadership crisis in the PDP, the senior management members of staff and other workers, on Tuesday, declared their loyalty and allegiance to the Turaki-led NWC.

The decision came after Friday’s judgment of the Ibadan Federal High Court.

Justice Uche Agomoh, in her judgment, voided the convention on the grounds that the process leading to the event was faulty.

The judge also decided that the party could only be governed by a caretaker committee for now.

On Tuesday, the PDP members of staff and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) jointly rejected the decision of the court, insisting that the Turaki-led NWC, having emerged in line with the provisions of the constitution of the PDP and the Electoral Act, 2022, remains legitimate and recognised by them.

“That the entire management and staff of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), reaffirm our recognition, loyalty and allegiance to the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki SAN-led National Working Committee (NWC) of our great party which was duly and legally elected at the Party’s National Convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15-16, 2025.

“That we stand by the election of the National Working Committee and all other resolutions reached at the Ibadan National Convention as they are in the general interest of our party in the exercise of its supremacy over its internal affairs in line with the Constitution of the PDP and extant judgments of the Supreme Court.

“That the staff of the PDP, as custodians of the PDP Secretariat, will not align with or recognise any other unauthorised leadership apart from the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki SAN-led National Working Committee (NWC) because the leadership was validly elected at the National Convention sanctioned by all the legitimate organs of the Party,” the workers jointly stated.

They referenced existing Supreme Court judgments, which they argued empowered political parties to determine their internal affairs without external interference.

They stated further: “That it is already established in a plethora of judgments of the Supreme Court that issues of membership, leadership, congresses and Conventions of a political party are entirely the internal affairs of the party requiring only the party internal mechanism to which the courts have no jurisdiction to interfere or interrogate.

“That there was no legal encumbrance whatsoever against the conduct of the National Convention in Ibadan to elect new National Officers of our party, as it was legally convened by the National Executive Committee at its 101st meeting of July 24, 2025 pursuant to its powers under Section 31 (2) (a) of the PDP Constitution.

“That our party fulfilled the statutory requirements of the law as stipulated in Section 84 of the Electoral Act, 2022 by notifying INEC of the National Convention which was convened with them (INEC) in attendance. And similarly, on the just delivered Supreme Court Judgment in the case of INEC vs SDP & Ors, the Apex Court while admonishing INEC, reaffirmed its longstanding position that what is required of the Political Parties is to ‘Notify’ the Commission as required by law; and this our Party has done.”

The workers, while faulting the decision of the court for also granting reliefs not sought in the suit, backed the steps taken by the NWC to appeal the judgment of the lower court.

“As custodians of the National Secretariat of the PDP, we are very much aware that the immediate past NWC is funtus officio’ since their tenure has ended by effluxion of time, and therefore, no member of that NWC can lay claim to any office under any guise whatsoever.

“We commend the leadership of our party for swiftly filing an appeal and stay of execution, which puts the judgment by Justice Uche Agomoh in abeyance and retains the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee which was duly elected at the Ibadan Convention legally intact, valid and fully operational.

“We are optimistic that the appellate court will set aside these judgments that are intended to reverse the gains we have made in our democratic journey as a nation.

“As critical stakeholders in the Democratic process, we urge the National Judicial Council (NJC) to caution judges who are complicit in delivering judgments or issuing orders that make them appear as willing tools in the hands of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to cripple opposition and destroy our hard-earned democracy,” the workers added.

A total of 76 PDP members of staff and PDI officials signed to declare support for the NWC.

Among them were the Acting Director of Administration, Gambo Gaude; Director-General of PDI, Dr Edward Ugbada Adie; and the Director, Constitution and Electoral Matters, Nnorum Chinwe Ihuoma..See More

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