By Achile Danjuma
The faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike inaugurated over 20 committees on Saturday to oversee the party’s upcoming national convention, scheduled for March 29 and 30.
Led by the faction’s caretaker committee chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, the inaugurated committees cover key areas including screening, accreditation, publicity, transport, logistics, medical services, and security.
The ceremony, held in Abuja, drew prominent party figures such as Mohammed, National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, National Organising Secretary Umar Bature, former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, and Senator Natasha Uduaghan-Akpoti, among others.
The committees are tasked with ensuring the smooth execution of the convention, where the faction aims to elect a substantive national leadership to steer the party toward the 2027 general elections.
According to the Mohammed-led caretaker committee, the convention is being organized in line with a recent Court of Appeal judgment that nullified the faction’s previous national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, which was led by Taminu Turaki.
The PDP has been mired in a protracted leadership crisis that has triggered a wave of defections. The party, which governed Nigeria from 1999 to 2015, splintered into factions following its loss in the 2023 presidential election.
The Turaki faction is backed by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, while the rival faction is loyal to Minister Wike.
The internal strife has led to the departure of nine PDP governors—from Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Osun, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba, and Zamfara states—since the 2023 election. Additionally, dozens of federal and state lawmakers originally elected on the PDP platform have defected, many of them joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Amid the deepening crisis, party stakeholders have expressed concern that the prolonged leadership tussle could prompt the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify the PDP from fielding candidates in the 2027 elections.