The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday intervened in the protracted leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), convening a high-level meeting of the party’s rival factions at its headquarters in Abuja.
The meeting brought together representatives of the faction led by Tanimu Turaki and the group headed by Abdulrahman Mohammed, which is reportedly backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Turaki attended the parley alongside members of his National Working Committee, officials of the party secretariat and a former Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu. Mohammed, on his part, was accompanied by members of his national caretaker committee, including its secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu.
In his opening remarks, INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, said the Commission was compelled to intervene following a barrage of conflicting letters and communications received from the PDP’s rival leadership groups.
Amupitan explained that the Commission had been inundated with correspondence from different factions making divergent requests, stressing that INEC, by constitutional mandate, is empowered to supervise and monitor the activities of political parties in Nigeria.
He said the engagement was also driven by preparations for forthcoming elections, notably the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026, as well as the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections slated for June and July 2026.
According to the INEC chairman, the Commission had already circulated its election timetable and guidelines to all registered political parties and was determined to ensure smooth and credible polls in the affected areas. However, he noted that the conflicting positions emanating from the PDP made it necessary to bring the contending factions together to seek clarity and forge a common path forward.
Amupitan expressed satisfaction with the presence of senior officials from both camps, noting that the meeting provided a platform for open and constructive engagement aimed at resolving the leadership dispute in the interest of the party and the wider electoral process.
He further assured the PDP factions of INEC’s neutrality, emphasising that the Commission’s actions were firmly rooted in the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act and INEC’s regulations and guidelines.
The INEC chairman explained that the Commission operates within a three-tier legal framework comprising the Constitution, the Electoral Act and its internal regulations, and pledged that it would strictly adhere to these laws in handling the matter.
He urged the parties to engage in frank and constructive discussions to achieve the objectives of the meeting, after which deliberations continued behind closed doors.
The outcome of the engagement is expected to yield recommendations on how to resolve the PDP’s internal leadership crisis ahead of the forthcoming elections.
