The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has formally recognised the faction of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, backed by Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, in a move that signals a significant shift in the party’s ongoing leadership crisis.
INEC published the updated PDP leadership on its official website, listing Abdulrahman Mohammed as the party’s National Chairman. Mohammed emerged alongside other members of the NWC during a national convention held on Sunday at the velodrome of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
The development comes amid deepening divisions within the PDP, which has been split into two rival factions. One faction, led by Kabiru Turaki, had approached the Supreme Court seeking to restrain the Wike-backed group from conducting the convention. Despite the legal challenge, the convention proceeded, producing a full slate of new national officers.
Addressing party faithful at the event, Wike declared that the PDP had overcome a protracted leadership crisis that once threatened its survival. He credited loyal members for reclaiming the party’s structure and restoring internal democracy.
Wike also commended grassroots supporters for sustaining the party through turbulent times, noting that despite what he described as “the infidelity of opportunistic elite,” the rank-and-file remained steadfast.
