- PDP Crisis: Wike, Makinde Allies Open To Peace Talks.
- Court of Appeal advised both camps to resolve dispute internally.
- Leadership crisis follows conflicting court rulings over Ibadan PDP convention.
Two factions within the Peoples Democratic Party have indicated readiness to engage in reconciliation talks as the leadership crisis rocking the opposition party continues.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the camps loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, made their positions known in separate interviews, stating that dialogue remains possible if it would help stabilise the party.
The development followed an advisory by the Court of Appeal of Nigeria sitting in Ibadan, which urged both sides to explore peaceful resolution of the dispute.
The appellate panel led by Justice Biobele Georgewill made the recommendation during the hearing of an appeal filed by one of the factions. The court subsequently adjourned proceedings until March 11.
The appellate court is expected to consider appeals seeking to overturn conflicting rulings earlier delivered by the Federal High Court of Nigeria in Ibadan and the Oyo State High Court concerning the legitimacy of the party’s convention held in Ibadan.
The dispute stems from rival claims to the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party following the November 15 to 16, 2025 convention in Ibadan.
The convention produced Tanimu Turaki as the party’s National Chairman. However, a faction backed by Wike obtained a judgment from the Federal High Court in Ibadan on November 25, 2025 nullifying the convention.
The faction is led by Mohammed Abdulrahman, who currently serves as chairman of the party’s caretaker committee.
In a separate ruling on February 25, Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court held that the convention complied with the PDP constitution and the Electoral Act, affirming Turaki as the legitimate national chairman.
Speaking on the possibility of reconciliation, the acting National Secretary of the caretaker committee, Samuel Anyanwu, said his faction remained open to dialogue.
“For the benefit of doubt, nobody is against reconciliation. We are the ones who have been asking these people to come back so that we can rebuild our party,” he said.
Anyanwu, however, accused Makinde of fueling the crisis, alleging that the governor was attempting to dominate the party’s structure.
“Governor Makinde is the major cause of the crisis in the party because he wants to make sure that he is the only governor remaining in the party,” he said.
He also dismissed suggestions that Wike was responsible for the internal divisions.
On the other hand, the National Publicity Secretary of the Turaki faction, Ini Ememobong, said his camp was equally open to reconciliation.
He explained that the Court of Appeal did not deliver a final judgment but only encouraged the factions to resolve their differences internally.
“It is not a ruling; it is an advisory. The judge simply said he had read through the files and that the matter is primarily an internal affair of the party and gave us the opportunity to settle,” he said.
According to him, the court adjourned the case to give both sides time to pursue dialogue.
“We are not averse to reconciliation, but it must be based on principle. We want reconciliation that will build the party, ensure its survival and position it to win elections,” he added.
