Inside The Unraveling: How Crisis, Power Struggles & Legal Battles Are Pulling PDP Apart
By NJORIGE LYNUS
THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) entered its national convention in Ibadan hoping to project renewal and unity. Instead, the event exposed — and deepened — one of the most destabilising crises in the party’s 27-year history. What was meant to signal a comeback for Nigeria’s largest opposition party has now become a defining chapter in its long-running internal breakdown.
A Convention Overshadowed by Courtroom Drama
The turmoil began before any delegate arrived in Ibadan. Multiple courts issued conflicting orders on whether the convention could even hold. In Abuja, Justice James Omotosho halted the exercise entirely, while Justice Peter Lifu insisted the party must first accommodate former Jigawa governor Sule Lamido. Hours later, an Oyo State High Court directed INEC to monitor the same event and barred attempts to stop it.
Those contradictory rulings set the stage for a convention held under legal fog — a symbol of the fractures within the party’s leadership.
Boycotts, Suspensions and a Party Split Down the Middle
Even before the opening prayers, the signs of disarray were clear. Nearly half of the state delegations boycotted the event. Five state chapters had been suspended. Prominent figures — including FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, former Ekiti governor Ayo Fayose, and National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu — were expelled in a sweeping purge seen by insiders as part of a calculated realignment by influential governors.
While speakers talked about unity, senior party officials privately admitted the event was less about reconciliation and more about tightening control ahead of 2027.
Chaos at the National Secretariat
Two days later, the simmering tensions exploded. Rival groups stormed the PDP national secretariat in Abuja after Anyanwu’s supporters declared the convention “illegal.” They clashed with loyalists of the new leadership, forcing their way past police barricades. Stones flew, chairs shattered, and tear gas filled the air.
For several minutes, the headquarters of Nigeria’s main opposition party looked more like a battleground than the hub of a group preparing to challenge for power.
Accusations, Outrage, and a Plea That Sparked Backlash
Into this chaos stepped the new National Chairman, Samuni Turaki (SAN), who accused a serving minister of leading armed thugs to the secretariat. He went further, issuing an extraordinary call:
“President Trump should come and save democracy in Nigeria.”
The statement drew immediate condemnation from the APC, which called it reckless and dangerous. The remark underscored just how far tensions had escalated — and how the crisis now threatened both the party’s internal stability and its public credibility.
Resignations and a Board in Disarray
Even the PDP Board of Trustees could not escape the crisis. Its Secretary, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, abruptly resigned, citing zoning conflicts after another national chairman emerged from his geopolitical zone. His departure reflected deeper discomfort within the party’s elder statesmen, many of whom privately expressed alarm over the party’s direction.
INEC Intervenes — But Can’t Stop the Bleeding
Hope for clarity briefly surfaced when INEC rejected a request from the Anyanwu faction to postpone the Ekiti governorship primary. The commission reminded the party that notices must be signed jointly by both national chairman and secretary — a technicality that invalidated the request. While this prevented an immediate escalation, it did little to address the wider structural chaos.
External Voices Work to Make Sense of the Meltdown
Reactions outside the PDP were blunt.
The African Democratic Congress attributed the upheaval to years of internal decay.
Former Sports Minister Solomon Dalung said the crisis threatens Nigeria’s democratic stability, comparing it to ruptures that contributed to the collapse of previous republics.
Dalung warned that political actors with “dual loyalties” — a veiled reference to Wike — could destabilise not only the PDP but the APC as well.
A Minority Still Holds on to Hope
Amid the gloom, some party members believe PDP can still recover.
Kogi State governorship aspirant Aminu Nda Onu urged warring factions to agree on equal sharing of positions to restore peace. He insists the party remains capable of winning elections at all levels if unity is restored.
A Party at a Crossroads
The crisis has now expanded beyond a troubled convention. It is legal, structural, ideological, and personal. Factions are hardening. Court battles are multiplying. Resignations are piling up. And across state chapters, fresh confrontations are emerging.
What began as an attempt at renewal has morphed into an existential struggle for control — one that could reshape not only the identity of the PDP but the balance of Nigeria’s opposition politics as the 2027 elections approach.
For a party that once governed for 16 years and anchored Nigeria’s return to civilian rule, the stakes could not be higher.
