The Nyesom Wike faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced plans to hold the party’s National Convention on March 28 and 29, 2026, in Abuja.
The decision followed last week’s judgment of the Federal High Court in Ibadan, which affirmed the Abdulrahman Mohammed–led National Caretaker Committee as the authentic leadership of the party.
Justice Uche Agomoh voided the PDP National Convention held in Ibadan on November 16, 2025, along with all decisions taken at the event, citing subsisting court orders that halted the convention.
The court consequently nullified the emergence of Kabiru Turaki (SAN) and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC), as well as the expulsion of senior party figures including Nyesom Wike, former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose and Senator Mao Ohuabunwa.
The court further ruled that only a caretaker committee is empowered to run the affairs of the PDP pending the election of new leaders at a properly convened national convention.
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In a statement jointly signed by Caretaker Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, and National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the faction disclosed that new members of the NWC would be elected at the March convention.
According to the statement, the decision was taken at the party’s 105th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at the official residence of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The party’s national secretariat, Wadata Plaza, remains sealed by the police following violent clashes between the rival factions.
To restore stability and constitutional order, the NEC approved a nationwide congress timetable, with ward and local government congresses scheduled for February, while state congresses will hold in March 2026.
The NEC also directed the National Caretaker Committee to immediately activate convention sub-committees and begin full logistical and consultative preparations to ensure a transparent and credible process.
It reaffirmed the Mohammed-led Caretaker Committee as the only lawful national administrative organ of the party and extended the tenure of state and zonal caretaker committees to avoid any leadership vacuum.
Welcoming the Ibadan court judgment, the faction said it validated the party’s current leadership structure and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the National Caretaker Committee.
Mohammed described the ruling as “much-needed legal clarity,” declaring that the uncertainty surrounding the party had been resolved. He said the PDP emerged from its internal challenges “refined, strengthened and reoriented.”
Calling for reconciliation, Mohammed urged party members to abandon divisive tendencies and work towards rebuilding trust, stressing that there were no absolute losers in the process.
He also commended Wike for his leadership during what he described as a difficult period and praised former Senate President Bukola Saraki for his insistence on due process and the supremacy of the law.
At the meeting, Wike reaffirmed his interest in the affairs of the PDP, particularly in Oyo State, insisting that his priority remained the survival and success of the party. He said the party would await clear directives from the Caretaker Committee on the conduct of congresses.
However, the Turaki faction rejected the proposed convention. Its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, dismissed the move as deceptive, alleging that Wike and his allies were acting as extensions of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ememobong said the faction was awaiting the verdict of the appellate courts, expressing confidence that the Ibadan convention would ultimately be upheld as the true reflection of the wishes of PDP members.
