PDP Crisis Deepens as Makinde, Turaki Bloc Holds Emergency NEC Meeting in Abuja

A fresh power struggle is unfolding within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as key stakeholders aligned with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and former Minister Tanimu Turaki converge in Abuja for a high-stakes National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.

The meeting, currently underway at the Yar’Adua Centre in the Federal Capital Territory, brings together influential party figures amid renewed tensions over the party’s national leadership structure.

Among those in attendance are Makinde, Turaki, former Niger State Governor Babangida Muazu, former Minister of Information Professor Jerry Gana, Senator Adolphus Wabara, and former Minister of Women Affairs Zainab Maina, alongside other senior party stakeholders.

At the centre of discussions is a proposed caretaker arrangement for the leadership of the opposition party, following a series of court rulings that have further complicated its internal power structure.

The faction argues that the recent Supreme Court decision, which upheld the Court of Appeal’s nullification of the Ibadan convention, has effectively created a leadership vacuum at the top of the party.

The group also rejects the legitimacy of a separate Abuja convention that produced the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Working Committee, describing it as invalid and inconsistent with the party’s constitution.

According to their position, the PDP constitution provides for a caretaker committee in situations where leadership becomes disputed or legally unsettled.

They are now urging the Board of Trustees, chaired by Senator Adolphus Wabara, to take immediate steps toward establishing such a caretaker structure to stabilise the party.

The development highlights the deepening divisions within the PDP as rival blocs continue to interpret court rulings differently and struggle for control of the party’s national structure.

Political observers say the outcome of the Abuja meeting could significantly shape the PDP’s direction ahead of the 2027 general elections, especially as internal reconciliation efforts remain fragile.