Fresh divisions have emerged within the Peoples Democratic Party following the Court of Appeal judgment on the party’s leadership crisis, with Seyi Makinde and the party’s Board of Trustees supporting a reconciliation initiative with the camp of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
However, the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, was said to have rejected the proposed peace arrangement, insisting he was unwilling to work with the Wike faction.
Senior figures within the party disclosed that Makinde and several leaders at an expanded meeting of the party’s Board of Trustees endorsed efforts to reach a court-backed settlement aimed at resolving the protracted leadership dispute.
The crisis stems from the controversial national convention held in Ibadan on November 15, 2025, where delegates elected Tanimu Turaki (SAN) and other members of the National Working Committee for a four-year tenure.
The PDP governors had earlier supported the convention and supervised the transfer of leadership from former Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, to Turaki before Damagum’s tenure expired on December 9, 2025.
But a rival faction loyal to Wike subsequently constituted a 13-member caretaker committee on December 8, 2025, appointing Mohammed Abdulrahman as Acting National Chairman and Senator Samuel Anyanwu as Acting National Secretary with a 60-day mandate.
Tensions escalated when both camps attempted to hold separate meetings at the party’s national secretariat in Wadata Plaza on November 18, 2025, leading to disorder and physical clashes.
The Nigeria Police Force later sealed the premises, which has remained closed since then.
Both factions subsequently sought recognition from the Independent National Electoral Commission, but the electoral body declined to recognise either group, resulting in a series of court cases.
The leadership tussle took another turn when the Court of Appeal, in a judgment delivered on March 9 by a panel led by Justice Mohammed Danjuma, affirmed an earlier ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja that nullified the Ibadan convention.
The court held that the process that produced the convention contravened provisions of the Electoral Act, the Nigerian Constitution and the PDP Constitution, thereby invalidating the election of Turaki and other members of the National Working Committee.
In a related development, another panel of the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan, led by Justice Biobele Georgewill, granted all parties permission to pursue an out-of-court settlement and adjourned the matter indefinitely.
Justice Georgewill urged the parties to embrace dialogue and consider the timetable released by INEC for the 2027 general elections.
Following the ruling, party sources revealed that Makinde and members of the expanded Board of Trustees meeting agreed that representatives from both factions should form a committee comprising legal experts and senior party leaders to draft the terms of a reconciliation agreement.
The proposed agreement, once finalised, is expected to be submitted to the Court of Appeal for endorsement to make it binding on all parties.
Sources, however, indicated that Bala Mohammed expressed strong reservations about reconciling with the Wike camp and declined to attend Wednesday’s expanded BoT meeting, reportedly due to his opposition to the peace initiative.
Party insiders said efforts were still ongoing to persuade the Bauchi governor to support the reconciliation process.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Adolphus Wabara, confirmed that the party leadership was working towards reconciling aggrieved stakeholders following the appellate court’s decision.
Speaking after the expanded trustees’ meeting in Abuja, Wabara said the BoT had resolved to utilise the opportunity provided by the Court of Appeal to pursue alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in order to restore unity within the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, the board was concerned about the damaging effect of prolonged leadership disputes and litigation on the stability of the PDP as the country’s major opposition party.
Wabara added that a special committee would be set up to engage legal teams and party stakeholders with the aim of resolving the crisis and repositioning the party for the 2027 polls.
Reacting to the reconciliation move, Wike said his camp was open to peace but insisted that any reconciliation effort must be genuine and backed by clear proposals.
The FCT minister also dismissed allegations that his role in the administration of the ruling All Progressives Congress had undermined his loyalty to the PDP.
He further maintained that the party’s planned national convention scheduled for March 29 and 30 should proceed as planned, rejecting calls for the formation of another caretaker committee.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Whip Abba Moro appealed to the rival factions to make compromises in the interest of the party’s survival, stressing the need for unity as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.