James Adamu
The bloc of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has fixed March 28 and 29, 2026, for the party’s National Convention in Abuja.
This decision, announced on Monday, February 2, 2026, at the end of the 105th meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, comes just two days after a Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan nullified the rival convention held in Ibadan in November 2025.
The 105th NEC meeting, chaired by the Abdulrahman Muhammed-led National Caretaker Committee, presented the new convention date as a necessary step to resolve the party’s prolonged leadership crisis and pave the way for a newly elected National Working Committee (NWC).
In a communiquรฉ released by the body, the NEC forcefully welcomed the Ibadan court judgment, describing it as a validation of its own position and leadership.
The committee stated that the judgment “upheld the legality of the Party’s leadership and administrative arrangements,” specifically recognising the Muhammed-led Caretaker Committee as the party’s only lawful national organ.
“This NEC reaffirmed its absolute belief in the independence of the Judiciary and the sanctity of the rule of law,” the communiquรฉ read, adding that “all Party organsโฆ shall continue to act strictly in obedience to subsisting court judgments.”
The committee also ratified a full schedule of congresses, with ward and local government congresses to hold in February and state congresses in March, culminating in the Abuja national convention at the end of March.
Spear News Nigeria reports that the faction led by Kabiru Turaki, SAN, which convened the November Ibadan convention, has vehemently rejected both the court judgment, setting the stage for an intensified legal and political confrontation.
In a press conference on January 30, 2026, Turaki presented a three-pronged legal argument against the ruling:
Unrequested Reliefs: Turaki stated that the court had proceeded suo motu (on its own motion) to “grant reliefs that were neither prayed for nor canvassed by any of the parties.” His faction had only sought an order of mandamus to compel INEC to recognize the Ibadan convention, not a judgment on the legitimacy of the caretaker committee.
Conflict with Existing Orders: He argued that the judgment is “in material conflict with subsisting orders and previous judgments of courts of coordinate jurisdiction,” creating a legal contradiction that must be resolved at the appellate level.
Technical and Academic Status: Turaki declared the ruling “academic,” stating that “the core issues arising therefrom are already before the Court of Appeal” and that the final authority rests with the higher court.
In response, the Turaki-led faction has taken immediate action by filing a Notice of Appeal and a Motion for Stay of Execution to halt the implementation of the Ibadan court’s judgment. “We are determined to pursue this matter diligently and to its logical conclusion in accordance with the law,” Turaki asserted.
Politically, the faction remains defiant. Turaki assured his supporters that “the National Working Committee produced by the Ibadan Convention remains legally intact, firmly in place, and fully committed to the ongoing rebirth of the Peoples Democratic Party.”
In related development, his National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, echoed this in a separate statement, labelling the latest court judgment as illegitimate and urging members to “remain resolute and committed as there is absolutely no cause for alarm.”
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