A faction of Nigeria’s opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by senior lawyer Tanimu Turaki on Thursday criticized the country’s electoral commission for recognizing a caretaker committee aligned with Federal Capital Territory minister Nyesom Wike, calling the move unconstitutional and legally provocative.
The Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) said it would pursue all available legal remedies to challenge the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) decision, after the commission acknowledged the Wike-backed group as the party’s representatives at a quarterly consultative meeting with political parties in Abuja.
In a statement, the faction’s spokesperson, Ini Ememobong, said INEC’s action ignored ongoing court proceedings and the PDP’s constitution, which he said makes no provision for a national caretaker committee.
“We are aware that INEC invited individuals purporting to lead a so-called National Caretaker Committee to represent our party,” Ememobong said. “This action, though capable of causing serious unrest, will be met with all lawful responses.”
The dispute follows a Federal High Court ruling in Ibadan last Friday that nullified the PDP’s national convention held on Nov. 15, 2025, and ordered Turaki and other officials elected at the gathering to stop presenting themselves as national officers. Turaki’s camp has since said it is appealing the decision.
Before the ruling, PDP governors had backed the Ibadan convention, which produced Turaki and other NWC members for a four-year term. However, Wike and his allies, including Abdulrahman Mohammed and Senator Samuel Anyanwu — rejected the process, insisting they remained the party’s acting national chairman and secretary.
As former chairman Umar Damagum’s tenure neared its end in December, the Wike-aligned faction set up a 13-member caretaker committee with a 60-day mandate, naming Mohammed and Anyanwu to lead it. Both camps subsequently sought official recognition from INEC, which initially declined to acknowledge either side as court cases multiplied ahead of the 2027 general elections.
On Thursday, INEC formally received representatives presented as acting chairman, acting secretary and national organizing secretary from the Wike-backed committee, effectively recognizing the faction.
The Wike-aligned group welcomed the development and said it would move to organize a fresh national convention to elect a new NWC.
Turaki’s faction urged party members to remain calm while the legal process runs its course, saying the Court of Appeal’s eventual rulings would determine the PDP’s legitimate leadership.
“We can assure members that INEC will not choose a leadership for our party,” Ememobong said.
