MOHAMMED, ANYANWU EMERGE AS PDP CHAIRMAN, SECRETARY AS WIKE-BACKED FACTION ELECTS NWC
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By ‘Sefiu Ajape
Abdulrahman Mohammed and Samuel Anyanwu have been elected as the substantive National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Both men emerged by consensus alongside 19 other members of the party’s new National Working Committee at the PDP’s 2026 national convention held at the velodrome of the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja on Sunday.
Among prominent figures at the convention were former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; and former Kaduna State governor, Ahmed Makarfi, among others.
Wike, identified as the national leader of the party, declared that healing had begun within the PDP and assured members that the party would be on the ballot for the 2027 general elections.
“So many people have spoken here. Saraki has said, with Abba Moro, and they were asking, ‘Is the PDP going to contest the 2027 election at all?’
“I have told Senator Saraki that, by the grace of God, the PDP will be on the ballot in 2027. We have seen the real convention, the convention that is being monitored by the electoral umpire. That is the convention that is recognised,” he said to cheers from delegates.
He added that the future of the party must be anchored on inclusiveness, with equal opportunities for members, and commended the delegates for their conduct.
The former Rivers State governor also stated that the party would reclaim its mandate from those who took it.
“I congratulate all of you who stood firm when the storm raged. You showed exemplary resilience when push came to shove. You refused to be downcast when those who pretended to be leaders of the party betrayed you disgracefully.
“You survived the taunts of the naysayers. Together, we are standing on the positive side of purpose and committed to the task of making Nigeria a truly prosperous country,” the minister added.
‘Unity Over Division’
In his remarks, Mohammed said the party would be inclusive under his leadership and urged members to unite as it prepares for the 2027 general elections.
“Today, we choose a higher path. We choose inclusiveness over exclusion, unity over division, we choose renewal over decline,” he stated at the convention.
“The PDP has not come here to mourn itself; the PDP has come here to renew itself. This convention is therefore not just about the election; this convention is about restoration, order, not just about position.
“Distinguished delegates, this is not an official day. Today is a moment of reflection, a moment of responsibility, and above all, a moment of renewal. We gather here after a difficult session, a session of disagreement, legal contestation, a session that tested the strength and soul of this party,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the convention planning committee and former Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, who put the number of delegates at 2,035, said the party’s door of reconciliation would remain open after the convention.
Leadership Crisis
The PDP has been embroiled in an internal crisis over its leadership structure, leading to the emergence of two factions.
While the Tanimu Turaki faction, backed by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, claims leadership on one side, the group backed by the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, controls the other.
The convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November 2025 triggered a series of legal battles.
However, on March 9, the Court of Appeal in Abuja upheld the judgment of a Federal High Court restraining the PDP from conducting the Ibadan convention.
In a judgment delivered on March 23, a three-member panel of the appellate court dismissed an appeal filed by the PDP challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court in Abuja to entertain the suit.
Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, who delivered the judgment, ruled that the PDP violated constitutional provisions guiding the conduct of its convention.
The Turaki group has, however, approached the Supreme Court to challenge the ruling.
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