The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) convened an emergency meeting on Friday between the rival factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a bid to resolve the party’s protracted leadership crisis.
The commission stated that the intervention was prompted by a series of “conflicting correspondence” received from different groups within the party, complicating its statutory duty to monitor political party activities.
The meeting, held at the INEC headquarters in Abuja, brought face-to-face the faction led by Tanimu Turaki and the group chaired by Abdulrahman Mohammed, which enjoys the backing of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Turaki was accompanied by members of his National Working Committee, secretariat staff, and former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu. Mohammed’s delegation included members of his national caretaker committee, such as its secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu.
In his opening remarks, INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan explained the commission’s rationale. “This meeting has become necessary because we have received several correspondence from various sides requesting one thing or the other,” Amupitan said. “We are aware that INEC is charged statutorily to monitor the activities of political parties.”
He directly linked the urgency of the intervention to upcoming elections, specifically the Federal Capital Territory Area Council polls in February 2026 and the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states in June and July 2026.
“We have issued our schedule of activities to all political parties,” Amupitan noted. “We have received conflicting correspondence from the PDP, and we felt that rubbing minds together would be a good opportunity for us to forge the way forward concerning these elections.”
The INEC Chairman assured both factions of the commission’s neutrality, emphasizing that its actions are strictly guided by the Nigerian Constitution, the Electoral Act, and its internal regulations.
“INEC sits on a tripod, comprising three legal regimes: the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and our own regulations. We are determined to ensure we follow the provisions of these laws,” he stated.
Following the opening address, the meeting proceeded into a closed-door session. The discussions are expected to yield recommendations for resolving the PDP’s internal disputes to ensure the party’s structured participation in the forthcoming elections.
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