The crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has entered a more critical phase, with rival factions now battling over the legitimacy of nomination forms and the authority to produce candidates for the 2027 general elections.
What began as a leadership dispute has evolved into a contest over electoral legitimacy, raising fresh questions about which faction will ultimately present candidates recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The camp aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, insists it remains the only structure recognised by INEC and therefore the only one legally empowered to conduct primaries and submit candidates for the elections. Its position follows the conduct of party primaries monitored by the electoral commission and the issuance of access credentials required to upload candidates’ details onto INEC’s nomination portal.
However, the rival Interim National Working Committee led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), has continued to operate a parallel party structure, issuing nomination forms to aspirants while maintaining that its actions are backed by court decisions and existing provisions of the law. The disagreement has further exposed the depth of the PDP’s internal divisions despite repeated efforts at reconciliation.
National Publicity Secretary of the INEC-recognised PDP leadership, Jungudo Mohammed, dismissed the activities of the rival group, arguing that without access to INEC’s electronic nomination system, any parallel nomination process would ultimately amount to an exercise with no legal consequence. He also challenged the authenticity of nomination forms displayed by aspirants aligned with the Turaki-led camp, urging INEC to verify the documents and prosecute anyone found to have forged official electoral materials.
The Turaki faction rejected the allegation, insisting that only INEC has the authority to determine whether any nomination form is genuine. Its spokesman, Ini Ememobong, maintained that the group remains focused on preparing candidates while awaiting the outcome of ongoing court proceedings that could reshape the party’s leadership structure.
At the centre of the dispute is the Supreme Court judgment delivered on April 30, which nullified the PDP national convention held in Ibadan in November 2025. Although the ruling triggered fresh political realignments within the party, competing interpretations of the judgment have produced parallel leadership structures that continue to lay claim to the party’s national secretariat.
For the Wike-backed leadership, recognition by INEC remains its strongest advantage. Under Nigeria’s electoral framework, political parties can only submit candidates through the Commission’s secured nomination portal using authorised access codes issued to recognised party officials. That procedural requirement means the legal battle may ultimately extend beyond internal party politics to the interpretation of electoral laws governing candidate nominations.
For the Turaki-led faction, however, the contest is far from over. The group believes the pending court cases will determine which leadership enjoys legal authority before the electoral process reaches its decisive stage.
While both camps project confidence, the prolonged conflict is already casting a shadow over the PDP’s preparations for 2027. Rather than concentrating solely on building a united opposition capable of challenging the ruling party, the PDP remains locked in internal litigation, competing structures and conflicting claims of legitimacy.
Observers say unless the courts provide a definitive resolution or the rival camps reach a political settlement, the battle over nomination forms could become one of the defining legal and political contests ahead of the 2027 general elections, with significant implications for the party’s electoral fortunes.
