March 15, (THEWILL) — For the factional leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which is now almost depleted of its elected members, no thanks to a renewed wave of defections following the Monday, March 9, 2026, the Court of Appeal ruling upholding the cancelation of the PDP convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, is a wake-up call.
The appellate court upheld an earlier Federal High Court judgement that declared the Ibadan convention an exercise in futility because the party leaders failed to respect its own constitution dealing with the organisation of pre- convention congresses.
While the factions led by Abdulrahman Mohammed and backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike and the other one led by Kabiru Turaki and backed by Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, and Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi State, explore reconciliation moves, a gale of defections has continued to hit the party.
As at the weekend, eight senators had defected from the party to the African Democratic Congress. They are Senators, Aminu Tambuwal, (Sokoto) Dauda Yaroe, (Adamawa) Lawal Usman, (Kaduna) Austin Akobundu, (Abia), and Ogochi Onawe, (Nasarawa). In the House of Representatives, lawmakers who defected from the PDP to the APC include Bitrus Kwamoti, Zakaria Nyampa, James Barka and Kobis Thinmu, all from Adamawa State; Mohammed Bargaja (Sokoto) and Midala Balami (Borno), Inuwa Garuba, Abdullahi El-Rasheed and Mohammed Audu, all from Gombe. Adewale Adebayo, Osun state, dumped PDP for the Accord party.
The only one-term governor on the party’s platform, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State defected to the APC immediately after the Appeal Court judgement hit the headlines.
In spite of these recurring defections, both factions are yet to fully commit fully to reconciliation. The Abdulrahman Mohammed faction maintains that his faction remains firmly in control of the party’s machinery.
In fact, the faction’s leader Wike declared after the appellate court ruling that while his camp is open to reconciliation, it will do so only as a dominant force.
In the same vein, Governors Makinde and Mohammed have maintained a similar stand with the Turaki faction. According to Makinde, the crisis is a phase in the party’s life and would pass away soon, urging party members to remain hopeful.
“We are for reconciliation, but genuine reconciliation,” Wike said, adding that the party’s upcoming National Convention at the end of the month would hold, rejecting any suggestions of forming a new caretaker committee to appease aggrieved members.
He even ridiculed the idea by the Turaki-led NWC to explore the last option to reclaim its mandate by going to the Supreme Court for final adjudication.
“They said they are going to the Supreme Court, it is okay. The court is for everybody. Even in table tennis, one must lose. There is no tie in this game. We have the upper hand and we will tell you this is what we want.” Wike said.
The South zonal publicity of the Wike-led group on Friday added that following the Appeal Court ruling, there was no faction in the party and therefore, nothing and nobody would stop the convention slated for the end of the March. He disclosed that ward, local and state congresses are being held in preparation of the national convention.
Although the Turaki-led faction had initially instructed its lawyers to appeal the latest court judgement at the Supreme Court, later reports indicated that the faction had postponed its National Executive Committee, NEC, Board of Trustees BoT and caucus meetings to show good faith in the court-advised reconciliation process.
This followed an advisory by the Justice of the Appeal Court in Ibadan, Justice Biobele Georgewill, urging the faction to resolve their differences as a family before coming back to her court for final arbitration on the conflicting judgements delivered by a lower court on the Ibadan convention.
The judge urged the parties to be mindful of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) timetable for the 2027 general election and to embrace peace in the interest of party unity.
Exploring this legal window raised by Justice Georgewill, party bigwigs have appealed for dialogue as the only way out of the prolonged leadership crisis in the party. At the first BoT meeting summoned by its Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, Chief Josephine Anenih, both of whom called for the need to find a solution and set aside personal interests and think about the party.
“We need to talk about the judgment. In fact, the Board considers the judgment an order for the party to begin again. We respect the law. So, this is an opportunity for us to begin again. And that’s why we are all here.”
But for former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, time was running out, given the compressed timetable for the election released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. He urged leaders of the party to urgently convene a fresh national convention following the Court of Appeal judgement on the party’s disputed convention held in Ibadan.
According to him, all stakeholders to immediately halt ongoing litigations and close ranks in order to stabilise the opposition party ahead of the 2027 general election.
“My own position is that the Court of Appeal has ruled. However, with the revised timetable by INEC, it is obvious that there is no time to wait for the Supreme Court’s decision,” Saraki said, adding that the primary responsibility of any political party is to provide a credible platform for members seeking elective offices, warning that prolonged internal disputes could undermine that purpose. The former Senate President therefore called for dialogue among all factions in the party with a view to organising an all -inclusive national convention that would comply with INEC guidelines.
A presidential aspirant on the platform of the party, Gbenga Hashim described the legal dispute within the party as a “family quarrel” and urged the combatants to sheathe their swords and come to the reconciliation table in the interest of the party and its members.
“This is a family quarrel that must now end at the Appeal Court. Leaders on both sides have agreed in principle to unite and harmonise positions in all the talks and negotiations we have heard,” he said.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, has stated that the party is prepared for reconciliation, following the Court of Appeal ruling that nullified the November 2025 National Convention.
Ememobong, speaking on behalf of the Turaki-led faction, emphasised that while the party is bound to respect the advisory of the Court of Appeal and the Board of Trustees (BoT) to pursue peace, any reconciliation must be “based on principles and aimed at strengthening the party, not weakening it”.
Pundits however say that both factions are still posturing, despite publicly declaring readiness for dialogue and reconciliation. They say the hard line position of both factions regarding who should draw the items for dialogue and determine the outcome of any negotiation may further drive a wedge between them and close the window of opportunity thrown their way by Justice Georgewill.
Nonetheless, that advice by Justice Georgewill, pending the Appeal Court ruling, still holds the hope of reconciliation by both factions, analysts say.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
