- A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has successfully conducted state congresses to elect new leadership in Bayelsa, Ekiti, and Oyo states.
- The exercise follows a Court of Appeal judgment that nullified the November 2025 Ibadan convention, effectively stripping the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee of its authority.
- The newly installed executives are tasked with mobilizing members ahead of a parallel national convention scheduled for March 28, 2026, in Abuja.
State congresses were conducted over the weekend by the caretaker committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aligned with Minister Nyesom Wike, marking a significant shift in the party’s internal power structure.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the exercise resulted in the emergence of new state executives in Bayelsa, Ekiti, and Oyo, as the faction moves to consolidate its grip ahead of a planned national elective convention on March 28 in Abuja.
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In Bayelsa State, Alabh Turnah was elected as the state chairman through a consensus arrangement. Speaking at the newly inaugurated party secretariat in Yenagoa, Turnah dismissed claims that the PDP has become an opposition party in the state, asserting that “Creek Haven (the Government House) belongs to the PDP.”
The congress, overseen by an electoral panel led by Austin Sor, was conducted under heavy security and monitored by officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In Ekiti State, the Wike-backed group, also supported by former governor Ayodele Fayose, elected Mr. Lanre Omolase as the state chairman.
Omolase pledged to “restore the party to winning ways,” while Bisi Kolawole, a member of the faction’s National Caretaker Working Committee, emphasized that the new leadership is focused on rebuilding the party’s grassroots foundation despite ongoing national fractures.
In Oyo State, the faction elected Abdulrahman Akinoso, a lecturer at the University of Ibadan, as the state chairman. Akinoso urged members to move past internal divisions and focus on the 2027 general elections.
He announced that e-membership registration would begin next week to formalize the party’s support base in the state.
The legality of these appointments is currently disputed by the rival National Working Committee led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN).
A spokesman for the Turaki-led group, Ini Ememobong, described the dissolution of existing state organs as “illegal and unwarranted,” arguing that such actions jeopardize ongoing reconciliation efforts.
The Turaki faction has indicated its intent to challenge the recent Appeal Court ruling, which affirmed a lower court’s decision to nullify the Ibadan convention that produced their leadership.
As the March 28 convention date approaches, the presence of two competing leadership structures remains a central issue for the party.
While the Wike-aligned faction is moving aggressively to seat loyalists at the state level, the Turaki camp maintains that its mandate remains valid pending further legal reviews.
This duplication of authority at the state level is expected to further complicate the PDP’s organizational preparation for the next election cycle.
