By Jeremy Fregene
Key organs of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to the newly elected National Working Committee (NWC) under Barr. Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, have launched coordinated moves to consolidate control following last month’s national convention in Ibadan.
In a statement issued by National Organizing Secretary Theophilus Dakas Shan, the party announced a series of high-level solidarity meetings involving its major power blocs. State chairmen, National Assembly caucuses, National Ex-Officio members, and forums of former governors, ministers, and past NWC officials are scheduled to meet separately with the new leadership this week in Abuja.
According to the timetable, the NWC will on Wednesday hold engagements with PDP state chairmen, members of the House of Representatives, and National Ex-Officio members. During the sessions, the Committee will present the Certificate of Return to Dr. Oluwole Oluyede, the party’s candidate for the June 20, 2026 Ekiti State governorship election.
On December 16, former governors, former ministers, and former NWC members will meet with the Turaki-led NWC, while the Senate Caucus is expected to engage the leadership on December 17. Shan said the series of meetings is part of a consolidation effort to stabilise the party and chart a unified direction after the successful conclusion of the 2025 elective convention.
In a separate development, the PDP has constituted a 24-member Appeal Panel to review petitions arising from the recently concluded Osun governorship primary ahead of the state’s 2026 election. The panel, chaired by Turaki, is scheduled to sit on Thursday, December 11, at the Bauchi Governors Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja. Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja will serve as Secretary, while Emmanuel Ekpe and Suleiman Usman will serve as Administrative Secretaries. The party said the panel’s work will be guided strictly by the PDP Constitution (2025 as amended), the Electoral Guidelines for Party Primaries, and the Electoral Act 2022.
The moves by the Turaki-led NWC come just 24 hours after the PDP wing loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike announced the dissolution of its parallel NWC led by Abdulrahman Mohammed and appointed a National Caretaker Committee to run their faction for 60 days. The decision emerged from the 104th NEC meeting held in Abuja, signalling a deepening confrontation between the two rival blocs claiming legitimacy over the PDP’s national structure.
Announcing the caretaker arrangement, Chairman of the opposing Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, said Hon. Abdulrahman Muhammad (North Central) will serve as Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, while Senator Samuel Anyanwu (Southeast) will act as Secretary. The 13-member committee has been tasked with conducting all outstanding state and zonal congresses in readiness for the party’s national convention, which must hold before March 2026 in line with INEC guidelines for political parties planning to field presidential candidates in the 2027 general election.
Ohuabunwa stressed that the transition plan is consistent with the party’s constitution and aims to ensure unity, stability, and administrative continuity amid the escalating leadership dispute. He said the move is among several reforms designed to restore internal cohesion, rebuild confidence among members, and reinforce adherence to the rule of law.
They also highlighted the establishment of caretaker leadership in states and zones where congresses could not be conducted earlier, including Anambra and the South-East. According to Ohuabunwa, these interventions are meant to prevent leadership vacuums, strengthen party organisation, and maintain momentum as their PDP wing prepares for crucial electoral battles in 2026 and beyond.