PDP disowns Turaki faction's registration exercise
The Abdulrahman Muhammed-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is set to embark on fresh registration of members after distancing itself from the one commenced at the beginning of
- To begin fresh registration exercise next week
- Wike, Fayose allies emerge in state congresses
The Abdulrahman Muhammed-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is set to embark on fresh registration of members after distancing itself from the one commenced at the beginning of this month by the Tanimu Turaki faction.
The Muhammed faction is consolidating its hold on the party's structures following last Monday's judgment of the Court of Appeal which nullified the November 2025 national convention that produced the Turaki led national executive committee.
The Muhammed faction is backed by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike and is pressing ahead with its national convention scheduled for March 29 and 30.
The state congresses took place yesterday.
Party sources told The Nation yesterday that the new members register should be ready for submission to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by April 10.
Spokesman of the PDPNCWC, Hon Jungudo Mohammed, said the party was focused on compiling the register.
He said the law and the Court of Appeal's judgment on the leadership tussle in the party are clearly on the side of the PDPNCWC
“As a matter of fact, we'll begin an authoritative nationwide membership registration exercise next week,” he told The Nation.
In a February 28 statement, spokesman of the Tanimu Turaki camp, Mr Ini Ememobong, had announced the opening of an online registration portal and constitution of a special committee to oversee PDP's membership exercise, but the outcome of various appeals before the courts nullified the party leadership team he represented, causing several party chapters to halt the involvement of their members.
Wike's, Fayose's allies emerge Bayelsa, Ekiti PDP Chairmen
An ally of Wike, Chief George Turnah, was yesterday elected Bayelsa PDP Chairman.
Turnah and 19 others were elected at the Bayelsa State congress of the PDP held weekend in Yenagoa, while Mr. Lanre Omolase, associate of former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose, is the new chairman of the party in the state.
The Bayelsa congress was witnessed by Administrative Secretary, INEC Bayelsa office and PDP national officials. The event attracted party delegates from the eight local government areas of the state.
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Voting of elected party officials into the state executive committee was done through consensus method.
The event was preceded by the official inauguration of a new secretariat of the party in the state capital.
In an address, Mr George Turnah, on behalf of the state working committee, promised a new dawn for the party, adding that the elected party officials would hit the ground running.
The Ekit congress was similarly witnessed by INEC officials.
In his acceptance speech, Omolase called for renewed commitment among party members, assuring that the PDP would regain its lost political ground in Ekiti State.
Omolase pledged to lead the party with integrity and the fear of God while working with other leaders and members to reposition the party for future electoral success.
A member of the PDP National Caretaker Working Committee, Bisi Kolawole, said efforts were underway to rebuild the fractured structure of the party and reposition it for future political success.
Kolawole acknowledged that the party had faced internal challenges in recent times but expressed confidence that the national leadership was working to restore unity and rebuild members' confidence across the country.
Ignore purported dissolution of Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo excos, Turaki-led PDP tells members
The Turaki-led NWC asked party members to ignore purported dissolution of the elected executive committees in Ogun, Ekiti and Ondo states.
The faction's National Publicity Secretary, Mr Ini Ememobong, said in a statement yesterday in Abuja that the purported dissolution was illegal and an affront on the proposed reconciliation within the party.
He said: “We have seen a purported announcement of the dissolution of the elected state executive committees in Ogun, Ekiti and Ondo states.
“This dissolution, which is illegal and unwarranted, is an affront on the proposed reconciliation for which talks are underway.
“This further attempt to deepen divisions at the state and other levels is null, void and of no effect whatsoever.
“We urge the state chapters, all officers of the party at the local government and ward levels, and indeed the public, to discountenance the said notice and continue to exercise their lawful duties.”
The Ondo State executive committee of the party said it was not going anywhere, insisting that it remained effectively in charge.
Speaking with journalists at the party's secretariat in Akure yesterday, state chairman of the party, Dupe Aisida, said the state chapter had not received any official communication from the party's national leadership directing the dissolution of the executive committee.
Aisida said the current leadership of the party in the state emerged through congresses conducted in line with the PDP constitution and monitored by relevant authorities, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the police and the Department of State Services (DSS).
According to him, the ward congress of the party was held on September 13, 2025 across the 203 wards in the state.
"The ward congress was conducted in all the 203 wards in Ondo State. INEC was there, the police sent their representatives, the DSS and other stakeholders were present, and they wrote their reports confirming that everything was done according to the guidelines," he said.
He added that the local government congresses were held on September 17, 2025 in the 18 local government areas of the state under similar supervision.
"We had our local government congresses in all the 18 councils. Again, INEC, the DSS, the police and other agencies monitored the process, and they all confirmed that the congresses were conducted successfully," he said.
Aisida said the state congress was eventually held in Akure on September 17, 2025 and was peaceful, noting that no petitions were filed against the outcome.
ADC schedules ward, LG, state congresses ahead of April 14 national convention
The ADC yesterday fixed April 14, 2026, for its National Convention as part of the efforts to re-energise the party's leadership structures nationwide.
National Organising Secretary of the party, Chinedu Idigo, and the National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi said in a joint statement in Abuja that the convention would be preceded by the ward congresses on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, LG congresses on Thursday, April 9 and the state congresses on Saturday, April 11.
“This process forms part of the party's constitutional responsibility to renew its leadership structures across all levels of the organisation, beginning from the polling units and wards through the Local government and state levels, culminating in the National Convention,” they said.
The party advised members interested in contesting vacant positions at the ward, local government or state levels to obtain and complete the relevant nomination or expression of interest forms through the party's official platform.
The party stated that forms and additional information are available on the party's website, while members across the country have been encouraged to participate actively in the exercise.
The party is currently compiling its members register in line with the Electoral Act 2026.
Figures from the exercise so far seem to suggest that turnout has been low contrary to the huge expectation of party chieftains who had branded the party a mass movement.
Leadership newspapers reported that as at last Wednesday, only 652,143 had registered with the party across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Of this number, the northern states registered 555,299 while the south registered 96,844.
It gave the breakdown as follows:
NORTH EAST: 256,966
Adamawa – 104,998; Bauchi – 41,024; Borno – 11,100; Gombe – 61,632; Taraba – 29,998; Yobe – 8,214.
SOUTH EAST: 23,296
Abia - 2,991; Anambra – 6,260; Ebonyi – 1,578; Enugu – 4,565; and Imo – 7,902.
SOUTH SOUTH: 35,904
Akwa Ibom – 5,733; Bayelsa – 1,610; Cross River – 7,007; Delta – 6,398; Edo – 4,189; and Rivers – 10,967.
NORTH CENTRAL: 96,935
Benue – 15,870; Kogi – 26,766; Kwara – 3,947; Nasarawa – 12,690; Niger – 23,039; Plateau – 5,625; and FCT (Abuja) – 8,998.
SOUTH WEST: 37,644
Ekiti – 1,097; Lagos – 14,163; Ogun – 3,916; Ondo – 7,651; Osun – 3,470; and Oyo – 7,347.
NORTH WEST: 201,398
Jigawa – 14,699; Kaduna – 64,748; Kano – 34,255; Katsina – 47,243; Kebbi – 19,867; Sokoto – 10,089; and Zamfara – 10,497.
Observers are of the view that except there is a massive improvement in the number of registered members from the South East and the South South where presidential aspirants Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi hail from, they stand no chance whatsoever in winning the party's ticket in a primary election.
Adamawa, home state of former vice president Atiku Abubakar, currently has the highest number of registered members: 104,998.
A citizen, Yohanna Nuhu, yesterday gave an insight into how this was achieved.
Writing on his X account @nuhuyohanna39 he said every aspirant from the state has had to engage people to mobilise people for the exercise.
His words: “Let me explain how Adamawa drove a massive registration in ADC. Every aspirant starting from the State House of Assembly have (sic) employed guys to register people. Every 100 people is 10k. So far I have paid for 2,000+ registered members (#200,000) for the candidate I work for.”
