Published by Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has firmly distanced itself from the political gathering that took place in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Thursday, May 14, 2026. The group, led by the Abdulrahman Mohammed National Working Committee, also denied any alliance with the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), describing the event as a “public celebration” of Governor Seyi Makinde’s defection to the APM and nothing more.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, made the party’s position unequivocal. “Let us state clearly and unequivocally that the PDP is not part of any alliance, coalition, agreement, or political arrangement with the Allied Peoples Movement or any other political party regarding this gathering or any related political activity,” Mohammed told journalists. He insisted that any person or group claiming to be acting on behalf of the PDP in connection with the Ibadan event was doing so “without the knowledge, approval, consent, or authority of the party.”
The Wike‑backed faction described the gathering as a desperate attempt by Governor Makinde and his associates to manufacture political relevance. “What is being presented to Nigerians as a political alliance is nothing more than another desperate attempt by Governor Seyi Makinde and his associates to mislead the public and manufacture a false impression of political relevance and support,” Mohammed said. He added that the Ibadan gathering was essentially a public celebration of Makinde’s movement to the APM, not a genuine opposition coalition.
Mohammed also took a swipe at the governor’s political calculations, saying, “It is obvious that ego and pride have made it difficult for him to accept the reality of his growing political isolation and failed calculations.” He drew a parallel with Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, who earlier moved to the APM, arguing that both governors have now been exposed. “Nigerians can now clearly see that today’s gathering in Ibadan is simply a public celebration of Governor Makinde’s movement to the APM and nothing more. His attempts to destroy the PDP have finally been exposed, and his agenda has fallen flat.”
The faction further rejected the notion of any coalition that would require the PDP to adopt another party’s presidential candidate. The party insisted that it will field its own candidate for the 2027 presidential election, leaving the door open for other parties to adopt the PDP’s candidate if they wish. “If other political parties want to adopt our candidate, they are welcome to do so,” Mohammed said. This stance effectively rules out the possibility of the Wike‑led PDP subsuming its identity into a broader opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.
The statement also addressed the growing legal and political tension between the two PDP factions. The faction’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, disclosed that legal steps are being pursued against the rival group led by Tanimu Turaki, former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, and others over alleged impersonation of the party’s leadership. “We are going to take all necessary action against those impersonating PDP leaders,” Anyanwu said. “Already, we have written to the police, and they have invited Turaki, Wabara, and others over this matter. So, legal action is being taken.”
The latest clarification follows a Supreme Court ruling on April 30, 2026, which nullified the PDP national convention held in Ibadan on November 15‑16, 2025. The apex court held that the convention was conducted in disobedience to court orders and amounted to an abuse of court process. The ruling effectively invalidated the leadership produced by that convention, which had been backed by Governor Makinde and produced the Turaki‑led executive. The Wike‑backed faction has consistently argued that the Supreme Court’s decision has resolved the leadership crisis in its favour, a position that the rival camp disputes.
In response to the Supreme Court judgment, the Makinde‑aligned group had announced a 13‑member Caretaker Committee led by Turaki as chairman and later proceeded with the Ibadan gathering as a show of political strength. The Wike faction, however, has continued to operate as if the leadership question is settled, proceeding with its own electoral timetable and screening of aspirants for the 2027 elections.
The faction’s spokesperson also questioned the logic of the Ibadan gathering, noting that it failed to disclose the platform under which its proposed single presidential candidate would run. “What the opposition summit in Ibadan failed to disclose is under which platform they will field their single presidential candidate,” Mohammed said, dismissing the outcome of the meeting as politically inconsequential.
The press briefing also served as an opportunity for the Wike‑backed faction to reaffirm its readiness for the 2027 elections. Mohammed noted that the overwhelming number of aspirants who obtained nomination forms from the party’s headquarters at Wadata Plaza was evidence that party members had confidence in the Abdulrahman Mohammed‑led leadership. He called on Nigerians to ignore what he described as “propaganda, theatrics, and false narratives” being circulated about the Ibadan event.
As the two PDP factions continue to operate parallel structures, the Wike‑led group has made it clear that it will not cede ground on the issue of presidential candidacy. The party’s position remains that it will field its own candidate, and that any opposition alliance must be built around the PDP, not the other way round. This stance, while strengthening the faction’s internal cohesion, also deepens the fragmentation of opposition politics ahead of the 2027 elections, potentially playing into the hands of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The Ibadan gathering, meanwhile, went ahead as scheduled, with Governor Makinde and his allies using the occasion to showcase what they described as a new opposition coalition. But with the Wike‑backed PDP dismissing the event as unauthorised and inconsequential, the opposition remains as divided as ever.
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