The Wike-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday has elected jts new national leaders through consensus at a convention in the Federal Capital Territory amidst ongoing crises within the party.
Abdulrahman Mohammed emerged as the substantive National Chairman while Samuel Anyanwu was elected National Secretary of the Wike-backed faction. They were joined by 19 other members who make up the new National Working Committee (NWC).
More than 2,000 delegates officially pegged at 2,035 by convention planning committee chairman and former Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu — gathered at the velodrome of the Moshood Abiola Stadium for the 2026 PDP National Convention.
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, addressed as the national leader of the party, declared that healing had begun and vowed the PDP would contest the 2027 general elections.
“So many people have spoken here. Saraki has said, with Abba Moro, and they were asking, ‘Is the PDP going to contest the 2027 election at all?’ I have told Senator Saraki that, by the grace of God, the PDP will be on the ballot in 2027,” Wike told cheering delegates.
He added, “I congratulate all of you who stood firm when the storm raged. You showed exemplary resilience when push came to shove. You refused to be downcast when those who pretended to be leaders of the party betrayed you disgracefully. You survived the taunts of the naysayers. Together, we are standing on the positive side of purpose and committed to the task of making Nigeria a truly prosperous country.”
Newly elected Chairman Abdulrahman Mohammed struck a unifying tone, urging members to put the past behind them.
“Today, we choose a higher path. We choose inclusiveness over exclusion, unity over division, we choose renewal over decline,” he said. “The PDP has not come here to mourn itself; the PDP has come here to renew itself. This convention is therefore not just about the election; this convention is about restoration, order, not just about position.”
Prominent figures at the event included former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, and former Kaduna State Governor Ahmed Makarfi.
Ikpeazu assured delegates that “the party’s door of reconciliation would remain open” after the convention.
The development comes against the backdrop of a prolonged leadership rift that split the PDP into two factions one led by Tanimu Turaki and backed by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, and the Wike-backed group.
A rival convention in Ibadan in November 2025 triggered court battles, culminating in the Court of Appeal upholding a Federal High Court ruling that restrained the Ibadan exercise. The Turaki faction has since appealed to the Supreme Court.
Party stakeholders say Sunday’s consensus-driven outcome marks a deliberate push for unity and positions the PDP for a strong comeback in 2027.
