The Independent National Electoral Commission on Friday, December 19, convened a meeting in Abuja to address the lingering leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party, bringing together the party’s opposing factions under one roof.
Present at the talks were 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 meeting with members of his National Working Committee, officials of the party secretariat and former Niger State governor, Babangida Aliyu.
Mohammed, on his part, was accompanied by members of his national caretaker committee, including its secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu.
Explaining the reason for INEC’s intervention, the commission’s chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said the meeting was prompted by multiple and conflicting letters received from different factions of the party.
“This meeting has become necessary because we have received several correspondence from various sides requesting one thing or the other.
“And we are aware that INEC is charged statutorily under the Act and under the Constitution to monitor the activities of political parties,” he said.
Amupitan added that the commission was particularly concerned about the impact of the crisis on preparations for forthcoming elections, including the Federal Capital Territory Area Council polls scheduled for February 21, 2026, and the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states billed for June and July 2026.
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“And as a build-up to these elections, we have issued our own schedule of activities to all the political parties. And we are on course to ensure that we have a very smooth election at the area council of FCT and at Ekiti and Osun states.
“We have received conflicting correspondence from the PDP, and we felt that rubbing minds together would be a good opportunity for us to forge the way forward concerning the elections.
“And I’m happy that this morning we have the very top officials that are present here so that we can discuss as a family and see how the issues can be resolved and we move forward,” he said.
The INEC chairman reassured both factions that the commission would remain impartial, stressing that all actions would be guided strictly by the law.
“So we are mindful of the need for us to maintain the sanctity of the Constitution of Nigeria. Actually, INEC sits on a tripod, comprising three legal regimes: the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and the regulations that have been made.
“So, we are determined to ensure that we follow the provisions of the various laws, the Constitution and the regulations that we have made.
“So without much ado, I want to welcome all of you, and I request that we should have very, very frank discussions to ensure that we can achieve the objective of this meeting,” he said.
Following the chairman’s remarks, the discussions continued behind closed doors.
The outcome of the engagement is expected to shape efforts to resolve the PDP’s internal disputes as the party prepares for the next round of elections.