The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) shows no sign of resolution as factions aligned with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, remain unyielding despite the intervention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Gossip News Now recalls that INEC stepped into the leadership dispute by inviting the rival factions—one chaired by Tanimu Turaki and the other led by Abdulrahman Mohammed—to its Abuja headquarters.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, explained that the commission’s intervention followed a series of letters from the party. He added that the move was also prompted by preparations for the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026, as well as the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections slated for June and July 2026.
He noted that INEC is constitutionally and statutorily empowered to monitor the activities of political parties.
Speaking to Punch, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP faction loyal to Makinde, Ini Ememobong, said the party would continue to carry out its duties, stressing its resolve to reposition the PDP for electoral success.
Ememobong stated that the outcome of the meeting with INEC was an agreement by both factions to await the verdict of the Court of Appeal on the cases before it. He added that the Supreme Court had previously cautioned INEC against determining the leadership of political parties.
According to him, the engagement with INEC was merely an interaction, noting that the rulings of Justices James Omotosho and Peter Lifu of the Federal High Courts on the party’s convention were being challenged at the appellate court.
“We all have to wait for the Court of Appeal judgment. The court did not stop our November convention; it only restrained INEC from attending, while another ruling directed that Sule Lamido should be included. These are internal party matters,” he said.
On his part, the Acting National Youth Leader of the PDP faction aligned with Wike, Timothy Osadolor, said the leadership dispute was already before the courts and could not be resolved unless the parties involved withdrew their cases and accepted that no valid exercise took place in Ibadan.
Osadolor also dismissed the PDP’s November convention, describing it as an “early Christmas party,” and said those who attended were advised either to return to the party’s fold or leave.
“They went to Ibadan, and many of them have since defected. Governor Ademola Adeleke has moved to the Accord Party, while another governor has joined the All Progressives Congress. If they still consider themselves members of the PDP family, they should return—unless they now belong to another party,” he said.
