SOKOTO, Nigeria (AP) — A widening rift has engulfed the Sokoto State chapter of Nigeria’s opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with rival factions producing separate governorship candidates and parallel executive committees. The dispute underscores the party’s internal divisions as it positions itself for future elections.
One faction, reportedly aligned with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, announced Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi Sokoto as its candidate during a gathering in Sokoto. The group also inaugurated a new state executive committee led by Alhaji Aminu Hayatu Tafida, with the exercise said to have been supervised by a representative of the party’s national headquarters. PDP National Organizing Secretary Umar Muhammad Bature attended, noting that a court ruling expected July 11 would determine the authentic leadership.
A rival faction loyal to former presidential aspirant Tanimu Turaki rejected the outcome, insisting its structure remains legitimate. That group endorsed Alhaji Mustapha Shehu Sokoto, a former local government chairman, as its candidate. Its chairman, Alhaji Bello Aliyu Goronyo, dismissed the rival congress, stressing that his executive was elected in October 2024 for a four‑year tenure and remains legally recognized.
The emergence of competing candidates and executives highlights the depth of the PDP’s internal divisions in Sokoto. Analysts say the dispute mirrors broader tensions within the party nationally, where rival camps have clashed over control of structures and candidate selection. Such conflicts have weakened cohesion and complicated the PDP’s efforts to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress in key states.
Observers note that the Sokoto crisis could affect the PDP’s electoral prospects in northern Nigeria, a region critical to national outcomes. The uncertainty has also drawn attention from the party’s national leadership, which faces pressure to reconcile factions and prevent further fragmentation ahead of upcoming polls.
For now, the fate of the Sokoto PDP rests with the courts, whose ruling next month is expected to determine which faction holds legitimate authority. Until then, the parallel structures reflect the challenges of opposition politics in Nigeria and the difficulty of maintaining unity in a competitive democratic environment.
