The 36 state chairmen and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) leaders of Nigeria’s main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday unanimously endorsed the National Working Committee (NWC) under Dr. Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, vowing to crush destabilizing forces and propel the party toward a 2027 electoral comeback.
The high-stakes interactive session, convened at the iconic Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, drew nearly 30 chairmen in person, with apologies from two others and a handful of chapters in caretaker mode, signaling a deliberate flex of grassroots muscle.
Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, Edo State chairman and head of the PDP State Chairmen’s Forum, delivered the group’s ironclad message, framing the gathering as a “clear message” of unwavering loyalty.
“We are here today to send a clear message: We are solidly behind Tanimu Turaki-led PDP NWC,” declared Dr. Aziegbemi, his voice echoing the forum’s collective resolve.
This pivotal affirmation caps weeks of frenetic buildup since Turaki’s contentious emergence at the PDP’s November 16, 2025, National Convention in Ibadan, Oyo State a poll marred by boycotts, legal salvos, and violent skirmishes that nearly tore the party asunder. Turaki, a former Minister of Special Duties under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, clinched the chairmanship unopposed after rival Lado Danmarke withdrew, amassing 1,516 votes in a process governors had fast-tracked as a consensus pick. Yet, the convention’s shadow loomed large: FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s camp, including expelled National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, decried it as illegitimate, forming a rival “caretaker committee” on December 8 that they claimed extended Damagum’s ousted regime by 60 days.
The schism erupted into chaos days later. On November 18, Turaki’s faction stormed the PDP’s Wadata Plaza secretariat in Abuja, only to face tear gas from police after clashes with Wike loyalists. Accompanied by heavyweights like Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde and Bauchi’s Bala Mohammed, Turaki eventually seized control, postponing his inaugural NWC meeting amid the melee. “We are determined to rebuild cohesion,” he told reporters then, as expelled members barricaded the gates.
The crisis deepened with high-profile defections and public spats. Wike’s allies accused Turaki’s group of constitutional violations, while PDP Governors who were the key convention backers, rallied behind the new leadership to stem the bleed.
On November 25, the State Chairmen’s Forum issued an early nod of approval, hailing Turaki’s “integrity and dedication” in a statement signed by Aziegbemi and 25 peers. Days later, on December 1, former military President Ibrahim Babangida weighed in during a Minna courtesy call, urging Turaki to “correct past mistakes” and forge unity as the PDP eyes 2027. “Rebuild the party, regain public confidence,” Babangida advised, blending condolence for Niger’s insecurity woes with a blueprint for revival.
Turaki, seizing the momentum, has orchestrated a blitz of stakeholder parleys. Major organs, from Senate and House caucuses to ex-governors and ex-ministers, piled on endorsements by December 8, as power brokers converged on Abuja. The NWC even launched a 24-member Osun Governorship Appeal Panel chaired by Turaki, set to convene Thursday at Bauchi’s lodge, underscoring business-as-usual amid the storm.
Back at Yar’Adua, Aziegbemi lauded the NWC’s “exceptional commitment to internal democracy and party rebuilding.” He added, “We acknowledge the challenges, but more importantly, we see the unwavering dedication of the NWC to upholding the party’s constitution and preparing us for future electoral victories.”
With cohesion “needed more than ever,” the chairmen roundly condemned “any action or rhetoric aimed at destabilising the PDP,” a not-so-veiled swipe at Wike’s “self-proclaimed faction.” Turaki, addressing the “General Officers Commanding” of PDP’s machinery, dismissed rivals as “expelled and former members,” insisting, “With 29 state chairmen here… the whole world can now see where the true leadership resides.”
The national chairman painted a dire national canvas, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of shattering PDP’s 16-year legacy of progress. “Nigerians are living witnesses that the achievements… have either been destroyed, shattered, or reversed,” he thundered, rallying for a “new mission to rescue Nigeria.” By 2027, he pledged, “We will take over power… and move Nigeria to the promised land.”
Analysts see Wednesday’s unity front as a masterstroke for Turaki, blunting Wike’s insurgency and buying time for reconciliation. Yet, with upcoming meets for ex-officials on December 16 and senators on the 17th, the PDP’s phoenix rise hangs on bridging these fault lines. As Aziegbemi stressed, unity is non-negotiable for the opposition to reclaim its mantle as Nigeria’s “credible alternative.”