Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday intervened in the leadership crisis rocking the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), urging the contending factions to reconcile in the interest of upcoming off-season elections.
INEC said the intervention became necessary in view of critical polls scheduled for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Councils as well as the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, convened a joint reconciliation meeting in Abuja, bringing together the faction led by Tanimu Turaki and the group backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and headed by Abdulrahman Mohammed.
Turaki attended the meeting with members of his National Working Committee, secretariat staff and former Niger State Governor, Dr Babangida Aliyu. On the other side, Mohammed led members of his caretaker committee, including its Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu.
Addressing both camps, Amupitan said the Commission had been inundated with “various conflicting correspondences” from rival actors within the PDP, prompting the need for a joint dialogue.
He noted that with key elections approaching, INEC was keen to avoid conducting polls while the main opposition party remained deeply divided.
“We are determined to ensure that we follow the provisions of the law. We want to move forward as a family,” Amupitan told the factions.
“The FCT Area Council election is scheduled for February 1, 2026, the Ekiti governorship election will hold in June 2026, while Osun comes up in July 2026.
“We are on course to ensure very smooth elections, but having received conflicting correspondences from the PDP, we felt that bringing everyone together to rub minds would help forge a way forward,” he said.
The INEC chairman stressed that the Commission would continue to be guided strictly by the law.
“INEC sits on the tripod of three legal regimes — the Constitution, the Electoral Act and our Regulations. We are mindful of the need to maintain the sanctity of the Constitution, which is the grundnorm,” he added.
Speaking after the meeting, Turaki said his team received the invitation late on Thursday night and initially thought the discussion would focus on “housekeeping issues” earlier raised with INEC. However, he said they were surprised to see “some former members of our party who had earlier been expelled” also in attendance. According to him, INEC explained that the presence of all parties was necessary “with a view to finding possible solutions to what the chairman described as lingering problems within the PDP.”
Turaki said his faction clearly presented its position to the Commission.
“We made presentations of what we think the issues are, and INEC has listened to us. Even though these matters are before the Court of Appeal and have not been heard, INEC said they will look into what we submitted very seriously,” he said.
He disclosed that the Commission worked late into Thursday night reviewing the situation.
“INEC is an umpire and will always want to conduct elections that are transparent and acceptable. Where major participants are unable to take part, it casts a dark shadow on the outcome,” Turaki noted.
On whether the meeting conferred legitimacy on his faction, he said: “When elders sit to settle a land dispute, they know who the legitimate owner is, but both sides must be heard so that no one claims they were denied fair hearing.”
Turaki also urged INEC to probe the root causes of recurring crises within opposition parties, insisting that his faction remained committed to holding the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) accountable on governance, security, infrastructure decay and injustice.
Meanwhile, Senator Sam Anyanwu, speaking for the Wike-backed Abdulrahman Mohammed group, maintained that the tenure of the PDP leadership expired on December 9, 2025, thereby creating a vacuum.
“The life span of the leadership expired on December 9. A caretaker committee was appointed with Hon. Abdulrahman Mohammed as chairman and I as secretary,” he said.
Anyanwu further argued that the court’s nullification of the Oyo State convention meant there was no valid convention to sustain the previous leadership.
“The court nullified the convention in Oyo State, so there was no valid convention. Nature abhors vacuum,” he stated.
He commended INEC’s handling of the crisis, saying the Commission demonstrated a genuine desire for the PDP to remain viable.
“The INEC chairman is a man blessed with wisdom. The way they spoke to us showed that they truly want us to continue to exist as the major opposition party,” Anyanwu said.
