Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declined a request to recognise the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) produced from the party’s recent convention in Ibadan, citing unresolved court cases.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a letter dated December 22 and addressed to Akintayo Balogun & Co., legal representatives of the PDP faction, the electoral body said the matter remains before the courts and cannot be acted upon administratively.
INEC stressed that recognising any leadership emerging from the disputed convention would amount to pre-empting ongoing judicial proceedings.
The request was made on behalf of the PDP faction backed by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, which conducted a national convention in November in Ibadan. The exercise produced a new set of national officers led by Kabiru Turaki.
INEC noted that the convention was held amid conflicting court rulings, with some federal high courts in Abuja issuing orders restraining the exercise, while an Oyo State High Court cleared the party to proceed and directed INEC to monitor it.
The commission said these contradictions have since resulted in multiple appeals currently pending before higher courts.
It said, “As the issues surrounding the PDP national convention are still subject to judicial determination, the commission cannot take steps that may prejudice the outcome of the cases.”
The commission added that it would not update its records to reflect any changes in the party’s national leadership until all legal disputes are resolved.
The letter read, “In the light of the above pending suits, your request is prejudiced and cannot be acceded to until the determination of the pending appeals.”
“In the circumstances, and in obedience to the rule of law and subsisting court orders, the commission is unable to accede to the demand to recognise or update the list of the national officers said to have emerged from the PDP National Convention of 15–16 November 2025.”
The leadership crisis has further deepened divisions within the opposition party, with rival factions laying claim to key organs of the PDP.
