A faction within Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supported by Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has announced March 28 and 29, 2026 as the dates for its long-delayed national convention in Abuja, where members of its National Working Committee (NWC) and other key party organs will be elected.
Gatekeepers News reports that the decision was taken on Monday at the 105th meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, where leaders also reaffirmed the authority of the Abdulrahman Muhammed-led National Caretaker Committee and extended the tenure of caretaker committees at national, state, and zonal levels until congresses and the convention are completed.
In a communique released after the session, the faction welcomed a recent Federal High Court ruling in Ibadan that nullified an earlier November 15 national convention held by a rival group, and expressed confidence in the judiciary’s role in upholding the rule of law in internal party matters.
To prepare for the convention, the NEC approved a schedule of party congresses across the country, starting with ward and local government congresses in February, followed by state congresses in March, leading up to the national event at the end of the month.
NEC also urged members to remain united, disciplined, and loyal to the PDP and avoid actions that could weaken party cohesion, saying the aim is to rebuild a strong, democratic, and electorally competitive opposition platform ahead of future elections.
The conflict in the PDP has grown over the past year, with a rival faction backed by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State holding a convention in Ibadan in late 2025 and electing a new leadership, a move that was met with multiple legal challenges and disputes over constitutional and electoral breaches.
The divisions prompted the Wike-aligned group to set up parallel party structures, including its own BoT and NEC, after INEC rejected the request to recognise the Turaki-led leadership due to conflicting court verdicts.
