The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing one of its most serious internal crises in recent years as factions loyal to Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde battle for control of the opposition party. The dispute has escalated into open threats, parallel nomination exercises, and competing claims of legitimacy ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Founded in 1998, the PDP dominated Nigerian politics for 16 years, producing presidents from Olusegun Obasanjo to Goodluck Jonathan. Its reign ended in 2015 when Muhammadu Buhari’s All Progressives Congress swept to power, and since then the party has struggled with defections, leadership disputes, and repeated court battles that have weakened its national standing.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State from 2015 to 2023, is known for his combative political style and strong grassroots influence. He currently serves as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. His faction insists that only court-recognized leaders can run the party’s affairs, branding Makinde’s caretaker committee “illegal.”
Makinde, governor of Oyo State since 2019, is widely regarded as a reformist voice within the PDP. Known for his technocratic approach, he has positioned himself as a counterweight to Wike’s dominance. Makinde argues that the party’s Board of Trustees has authority to appoint interim leaders following a recent Supreme Court ruling, and his camp has already formed a 13-member caretaker committee led by former minister Tanimu Turaki.
On April 30, 2026, the Supreme Court nullified the PDP convention held in Ibadan, which produced Makinde-backed leadership. Wike responded by daring Makinde’s faction to open a PDP secretariat or bank account in Abuja, vowing to shut them down immediately. Meanwhile, Makinde’s camp continues to sell nomination forms and plan National Executive Committee meetings, insisting the Board of Trustees has authority to fill the leadership vacuum.
Both factions are selling nomination forms separately, creating confusion among aspirants. Wike’s camp has sold presidential forms to Senator Sandy Onor, while Makinde’s camp has sold governorship forms in Adamawa. The parallel structures raise the risk of electoral confusion, with aspirants potentially facing invalid candidacies if the Independent National Electoral Commission rejects one faction’s process. More legal battles are expected as both sides interpret the Supreme Court ruling differently.
Ini Ememobong, National Publicity Secretary of the Turaki-led faction, dismissed recognition of Wike’s group by the electoral commission, saying it “does not confer legitimacy on a faulty process.” He added: “Political problems must find political solutions. Anytime you try to use the straight line of the law to solve multifarious political issues, you end up creating more problems.”
Ememobong also vowed that his faction would resist any attempt to align the PDP with the ruling APC. “We are determined to fight for the soul of this party in a way and manner that the soul of the Peoples Democratic Party will not be used as an appendage of the APC,” he said.
Analysts warn that unless reconciliation is achieved, the PDP risks fragmentation and electoral irrelevance ahead of 2027. The crisis shows no signs of abating, with Wike vowing to enforce law and order in Abuja against any “illegal” PDP offices, while Makinde’s faction remains defiant, pressing ahead with its caretaker committee and election timetable. The PDP’s survival may hinge on whether its warring factions can unite before the primaries.
