The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party has reaffirmed its authority over the party, with National Chairman Tanimu Turaki (SAN) insisting that the Independent National Electoral Commission recognises the NWC backed by PDP governors as the authentic leadership of the party.

Speaking at the presentation of the Certificate of Return to the PDP Ekiti governorship candidate, Oluwole Oluyede, at the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, on Wednesday, Turaki said all major stakeholders of the party were with the NWC.

The event was attended by 30 PDP state chairmen, National Assembly members, NWC members, party leaders and supporters who travelled from Ekiti dressed in colourful Ankara attire.

Responding, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, National Secretary of the faction supported by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, said the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led Caretaker Committee remained the legitimate leadership of the PDP.

In an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, Anyanwu accused Turaki of lying about INEC recognition, claiming that the commission had been duly notified of the party’s change of leadership.

Recall that PDP governors backed the Ibadan convention, where Turaki and other NWC members were elected on November 16 to serve four-year terms.

However, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, alongside his allies Mohammed Abdulrahman and Senator Anyanwu, continued to insist that they remain the Acting National Chairman and Acting National Secretary, respectively.

Even though the governors facilitated a smooth transition from former Chairman Umar Damagum to Turaki before Damagum’s tenure officially expired on December 9, the Wike-aligned faction still announced, on Sunday, Mohammed, Anyanwu and others as members of a 60-day caretaker committee.

Turaki, while presenting the Certificate of Return to the PDP candidate, challenged those claiming to be factional leaders to present the evidence of INEC recognition for their own governorship candidate.

INEC earlier scheduled the Ekiti governorship election for June 20, 2026.

Oluyede won the party’s primary held between November 8 and the early hours of November 9, securing 279 votes to defeat Funso Ayeni (239 votes) and Funmilayo Ogun (17 votes).

Addressing party leaders from across the country, Turaki declared, “All state chairmen of PDP are here. Nigerians have seen members of the National Assembly, founding fathers and mothers, former governors and former ministers of the PDP. Indeed, Nigerians have seen the crème de la crème of the party. Who else is missing this afternoon? Absolutely none.

“A strong statement has been made today. For anyone still doubting where the authentic leadership of the PDP lies, there should be no doubt again. This is PDP. This is where the PDP is and will continue to be.”

Displaying documents he said were forms issued by INEC to the NWC, Turaki expressed confidence that Oluyede would win the 2026 election.

“These are INEC forms. They confirm that INEC recognises what we have done in Ekiti State. If INEC recognises us, then who can be against our leadership?” he said.

Responding, Oluyede described Ekiti as a land of brilliance and courage globally celebrated for education and integrity, but held back by years of governance failures.

He pledged to restore good governance, revive the economy, strengthen communities, improve security and return the state to prosperity.

“My mission is clear: to revive our economy, ensure accessible healthcare, empower our youths and decisively tackle insecurity,” he said.

He urged aggrieved aspirants to withdraw their court cases, calling them “needless distractions” that could undermine party unity.

PDP National Secretary, Taofeek Arapaja, criticised those who once declared the party dead, but were now fighting to control it.

“You can now see that the PDP is alive. The same party they said was dead is what they are fighting for,” he said.

He urged the candidate to reconcile with aggrieved members, saying, “They are our people. We speak the same language.”

Later on Wednesday, at the same venue, Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro, represented by Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central), described the PDP crisis as “man-made and resolvable.”

“We know the issues in PDP are man-made, and what is man-made requires a man-made solution. The problems of PDP can be resolved,” he said.

House of Representatives Minority Whip, Ali Isah, also pledged the caucus’s support for the Turaki-led NWC, stressing that democracy must be protected.

“No country can succeed without democracy. Anyone who believes intimidation of other parties will bring success is mistaken,” he said.

Earlier, during a meeting with PDP state chairmen in Abuja, Turaki said the NWC’s effectiveness depended on the cooperation of the State Chairmen’s Forum.

He said those claiming to lead factions were not recognised party members.

“With 29 state chairmen present and two sending apologies, tell me—who is not here? If all state chairmen are supporting us, who can be fighting us?” he asked.

Turaki vowed that under his leadership, the NWC would return the party to the grassroots, arguing that the APC leadership had reversed the progress achieved during the PDP’s 16 years in power.

He said, “Nigerians plead: if you cannot take us forward, take us back to 2015. But we will take power in 2027 and move Nigeria to the promised land. It is doable—we have done it before.”

Reacting, Anyanwu said Turaki’s claim of INEC recognition was “unfortunate,” insisting the commission had not recognised the governors-backed NWC.

“All these claims are just for optics. INEC has not recognised them. They did not attend the convention, and INEC knows who the genuine leadership is,” he said.

He argued that INEC had been informed of the caretaker committee and had received a formal notification of the leadership change.

“Let them show INEC’s recognition of their convention or activities in states such as Osun,” he challenged.

He added that INEC “was not present at their convention and has no dealings with them,” questioning why the Turaki-led NWC was in court in Ibadan seeking an order to compel INEC’s recognition.

“Nigerians will soon see their lies. The PDP remains intact under Acting National Chairman AbdulRahman Mohammed, who enjoys the support of party faithful,” he said.

Speaking further, he argued, “INEC is aware of the caretaker committee constituted by the PDP. They have been formally informed, have received our letter, and know the legitimate leadership of the party. So, whatever Turaki says is just media hype—it is not true. INEC did not recognise them. Let them show us INEC recognition of their convention or any activities in other states, especially Osun.

“We have gone through this before when they paraded the former youth leader, Ude Okoye, as National Secretary, and INEC communicated to them that they did not recognise Ude Okoye as Secretary.

“It is the same approach they are taking again—they are simply lying. INEC did not monitor their convention, and they have no business with it. Even the Ibadan court yesterday clarified that it has no jurisdiction to hear the matter, and INEC is not involved.’’

“I challenge anyone to go to INEC and verify for themselves. They will discover that what Turaki is saying is entirely false. INEC did not recognise them, was not present at their convention, and has no dealings with them. If they claim INEC has recognised them, why are they in federal court in Ibadan asking the court to compel INEC to do so?

“There is no cause for alarm. In due time, Nigerians will see their lies. The PDP remains intact under the leadership of the Acting National Chairman, AbdulRahman Mohammed, who enjoys the support of all party faithful.”

punch.ng

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has defended his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the Accord Party, describing the move as necessary to safeguard his personal security and the stability of the state.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Adeleke said he did not abandon the PDP, which he still holds in high regard, but chose to prioritise continuity in Osun’s development.

“It’s not true that I abandoned PDP. I love PDP, but I have to protect myself.

“I have to make sure I protect my state because of the good work we’ve been doing so that we can continue,” he said.

Adeleke joined the Accord Party on Tuesday after resigning from the PDP, the platform on which he won the 2022 governorship election.

He secured the AP governorship ticket on Wednesday.

He will face candidates from the All Progressives Congress, PDP and the coalition in the African Democratic Party in what is expected to be a decisive contest for his political future.

Reacting to concerns that contesting under a less popular party could affect his re-election chances, Adeleke expressed confidence that his performance in office would earn him a second term in the 2026 governorship election.

The governor said residents of the state are “wiser” and understand the difference between “good governance and bad governance,” arguing that the election would be decided by candidates, not political parties.

“Osun people are wiser. They know the difference between good governance and bad governance, and they have decided to toe the Imole path; it is me they are talking about.

“We are not even talking about parties right now; the party is just the platform. And when they compare the records of what my predecessor has done, and they compare [them] with my own records, they have suffered a lot in terms of unpaid salary.

“I came in, I brought hope, I brought light to Osun State. So, my records, first of all, will speak for themselves,” he said.

Adeleke said he is not worried about “federal might,” noting that he won the 2022 governorship election while in the opposition and expects to repeat that feat in 2026.

“Well, I believe our president is a democrat. He’s been in this position [opposition] before. When he was in opposition, I learned a lot from him, too.

“He stood his ground, despite the fact that he was in opposition, and he still won. So why can’t I do that?

“I was in the opposition when I won last time, and it’s not going to be different,” he added.

Adeleke added that the “people will decide,” saying he is confident voters will return him to office “because of my track record” and their desire for continuity.

punch.ng

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

The chairman of the Labour Party in Abia State Mr Emmanuel Nwaeze Otti, has said recently concluded party congress by a faction of the party loyal to Mr Julius Abure, is an exercise in futility as it didn’t follow due process.

Otti who spoke to the South East Punch on Monday in Umuahia the Abia State capital, stated that the Supreme Court gave a judgment concerning the leadership of the Labour Party, adding all actions at variance to the judgement cannot stand.

He revealed he had approached the court to stop the congress because

Abure lacks the illegal standing to embark on such an exercise on behalf of the party.

He said, “I was the person that went to court to stop the congress because that they didn’t follow the due process.

“Remember that on April this year, the Supreme Court gave a judgment on the right leadership in the party and that judgment must be followed to the latter.

“We have the judgment of the Supreme Court, and that is what we want to follow, and that is what we have decided to follow. So if you are going contrary to the law or the law of the land, what do you expect?

The LP chairman also commended the Governor Alex Otti for his performance since he took over office. He said the party members in the state are happy because the government they brought into power is doing well.

“The government of the Labour Party is doing well in Abia State and because our leader is doing what we expected of him.

“What do you expect when you have a good leader, you should always be happy; the Labour Party members including myself who is the chairman, we are more than happy. We appreciate our governor and we will always pray for him because he is giving us what we want.

Otti also dismissed the insinuations that the governor abandoned the party and many of his supporters after winning the election.

“If Governor would, in his style, bring in people who opposed him from 2014.

And if he will go far, bringing people who carried casket against him, people who said he will not govern this state, and then he will bring them into his cabinet.

“Now, think of the people who followed him. Maybe it’s the opposition who are bringing that insinuation, not the people who joined and who worked with him,” he added.