Fresh efforts to resolve the lingering crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party appear to be gaining momentum as Seyi Makinde and the party’s Board of Trustees have thrown their weight behind a Court of Appeal-backed reconciliation arrangement with the camp of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The development is expected to play a significant role in shaping the party’s internal dynamics ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Senior party figures familiar with the discussions disclosed that the reconciliation move has the support of several influential stakeholders within the party. However, the initiative has also exposed deep divisions within the leadership of the PDP Governors’ Forum.
According to party sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly, the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, rejected the proposed reconciliation deal.
The governor reportedly insisted that he could not work with the political bloc aligned with Wike, underscoring the lingering mistrust between some governors and the former Rivers State governor’s camp.
The disagreement comes months after PDP governors endorsed the Ibadan convention held on November 15, during which Tanimu Turaki (SAN) and other members of the party’s National Working Committee were elected to serve a four-year term.
The governors also supervised the formal transfer of leadership from the party’s former Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, to Turaki shortly before Damagum’s tenure expired on December 9, 2025.
However, the leadership dispute escalated shortly after when a faction loyal to Wike constituted a 13-member caretaker committee on December 8, 2025.
The committee named Mohammed Abdulrahman as Acting National Chairman and Samuel Anyanwu as Acting National Secretary, among other officials, with a 60-day mandate to steer the party’s affairs.
The power struggle between the two camps soon spilled into the public arena. On November 18, 2025, attempts by both the Wike-aligned faction and the governors’ bloc to hold separate meetings at the PDP National Secretariat in Wadata Plaza resulted in chaos.
Eyewitnesses reported scenes of disorder and heated confrontations as supporters of both factions clashed within the premises, highlighting the depth of the internal divisions.
Party insiders say the latest reconciliation push, backed by Makinde and the Board of Trustees, is aimed at preventing the crisis from worsening and ensuring that the PDP presents a united front ahead of future electoral contests.
Political observers note that resolving the dispute will be critical for the party as it prepares to rebuild its structure and strengthen its position ahead of the 2027 elections.
Despite the ongoing disagreements, PDP stakeholders are said to be continuing behind-the-scenes consultations in the hope of finding common ground that will restore stability within the opposition party.
