The leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) escalated on Monday as a faction loyal to Tanimu Turaki rejected the party’s Abuja convention, insisting it lacked legitimacy and violated ongoing court proceedings.
The group, in a statement released on Monday, and obtained by ENigeria Newspaper, said the disputed gathering, organised by allies of Nyesom Wike, is already the subject of litigation and would be contested to the highest level.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we state that the pre-Easter jamboree of APC sympathisers and members of ‘Wike’s Autocratic Party’, which they mischievously tagged a PDP convention, was held in contempt of the Court of Appeal,” the statement read.
“We reassure that we have taken this battle to the Supreme Court for the determination of all the issues relating to the leadership of our part. We are hopeful that sooner, rather than later, the apex court will… adjudicate on this matter.”
According to the statement signed by its spokesperson, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the convention should not have held in the first place due to pending legal challenges.
“The validity of that gathering is now a matter before the court, which we will diligently follow to its conclusion,” it said.
Despite this, the group reserved its strongest criticism for the nature of the event itself, dismissing it in sharp terms.
The faction also reacted to a recent court decision said to have granted access to the party’s national secretariat to the rival camp, describing it as unacceptable and subject to immediate legal challenge.
“We have directed our lawyers to immediately file an appeal and other relevant applications against this judgment,” it added.
Beyond the internal dispute, the Turaki group alleged external interference, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of engineering the crisis for political advantage.
“These crises are clearly orchestrated by the Bola Tinubu-led APC governmen determined to foist a one-party state on the country,” it claimed.
Amid the uncertainty, the faction appealed to party faithful to remain resolute, expressing optimism that the judiciary would restore clarity to the situation.
“We urge our members ; to keep hope alive in the sincere expectation that the apex court will come to the rescue of multi-party democracy,” it said.
The PDP has been grappling with prolonged internal divisions since the 2023 elections, with rival factions continuing to contest control of the party’s structure and leadership.
The statement from the Turaki-led faction came following a contentious national convention at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium’s Velodrome in Abuja, where a caretaker committee was dissolved and a new leadership was chosen by consensus.
On Monday, March 30, INEC posted the revised leadership structure on its official website. It listed Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary and Abdulrahman Mohammed as National Chairman, along with other national executives reportedly chosen from the party’s most recent convention in Abuja.
