PDP Crisis Persists After Convention As Leaders Resign And Rival Factions Battle In Court Over Leadership Legitimacy

PDP Crisis Persists After Convention as Leaders Resign and Rival Factions Battle in Court Over Leadership Legitimacy The ongoing leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened on Tuesday as more prominent members resigned from the party and rival factions backed by influential party leaders escalated legal battles over the legitimacy of a contested national convention. Despite concluding its national convention over the weekend in Abuja an event intended to signal unity and set the stage for the 2027 general elections internal divisions have intensified, with defectors citing unresolved leadership disputes and strategic disagreements over the party’s future direction. The PDP is now split into rival camps: one aligned with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, which organised the contentious Abuja convention, and another backed by Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), which has challenged the process and outcome in court.

The Makinde‑aligned faction maintains that the Wike‑backed convention was held in contempt of court and contrary to agreed legal procedures, noting that court processes relating to the dispute were already before the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal when the convention took place. The faction has filed appeals at the Supreme Court to determine the rightful leadership of the party. In reaction, the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary said the leadership tussle is now a matter for the Supreme Court to resolve, with party lawyers already pushing the matter to the apex court in hopes of securing a conclusive judgment that will clarify leadership and internal governance issues.

Amid the legal standoff, the PDP has seen a fresh wave of resignations from high‑profile members disillusioned by the turmoil. Among the latest to quit was Rt. Hon. Isa Ashiru, a former PDP gubernatorial candidate in Kaduna State, who cited persistent internal conflicts and divisions as reasons for his exit.

Also stepping away from the party was prominent Oyo State politician and former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide, who resigned and signalled her intention to join the All Progressives Congress (APC), highlighting a broader pattern of defections from the PDP to rival parties ahead of the next elections. The ongoing defections and internal strife have raised concerns about the PDP’s capacity to function as an effective opposition force, especially as the party prepares for critical electoral contests. A number of former members spoke of a lack of coherent direction and unresolved leadership disputes that have hamstrung organisational clarity and unity.

Political analysts say the crisis reflects deep fractures within the PDP, with competing power blocs jostling for control and influence, and legal routes increasingly becoming the primary arena for settling disputes. With the Supreme Court now seized of the matter, all eyes are on the judiciary even as the party’s electoral fortunes hang in the balance. The PDP’s internal conflict underscores a broader challenge facing Nigerian opposition politics, where leadership rivalries and structural weaknesses can undermine party cohesion and effectiveness at critical moments ahead of national elections.