By Jeremy Fregene
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction backed by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has installed Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, as Interim National Chairman.
Turaki’s emergence followed the inauguration of a 13-member Interim National Working Committee (INWC) during the party’s 103rd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, with Taofeek Arapaja appointed as Secretary.
The motion for the interim leadership was moved by the Chairman of the Forum of State Chairmen, Anthony Aziegbemi, and seconded by the Chairman of the Forum of Ex-officials, Clement Faboyede.
Presiding over the meeting, Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Adolphus Wabara, said the decision was necessitated by the April 30, 2026, Supreme Court judgment which nullified previous party conventions, leaving the PDP without a valid National Working Committee.
Wabara explained that the BoT stepped in to avert a leadership vacuum and reposition the party ahead of the 2027 general elections, expressing optimism that the PDP would reclaim power at the centre.
He disclosed that the BoT secured the backing of two-thirds of NEC members before convening the meeting and had duly notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Governor Makinde, in his remarks, declared that the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led NWC had no legitimacy to operate from the party’s national secretariat, insisting that the newly installed interim leadership reflected the will of the majority.
While acknowledging the party’s internal challenges, Makinde maintained that the PDP has the capacity to overcome its current crisis, urging members not to be discouraged.
He described the move as part of a broader effort to stabilise the party and preserve democratic plurality, pledging his full support for the interim committee.
In his acceptance speech, Turaki assured members that the committee was ready to rebuild and reposition the party, promising that the PDP would field candidates for all elective positions and win the 2027 presidential election.
Other members of the interim NWC include Hamza Koshe, Dr. Daniel Woyengikuro, Ihediwa Richard, Isa Abubakar, Okechukwu Daniel, Theophilus Dakas Shan, Ini Ememobong, Aribisala Idowu, Bara’u Shafi’i, Ogbu Chinenyenwa, and Umar Aji.
Speaking after the meeting, Makinde insisted that the NEC session met constitutional requirements, noting that it had the required quorum. He added that the party would formally communicate the development to INEC and expressed confidence that the commission would recognise the interim leadership.