By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
Two factions of the Peoples Democratic Party have expressed readiness to reconcile over the lingering leadership crisis rocking the party, even as both sides traded blame over the cause of the dispute.
The camps loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, disclosed their willingness to explore dialogue in separate interviews with Sunday PUNCH on Saturday.
The development followed an advisory by the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan, which urged both sides to resolve their differences amicably in the interest of the party.
The appellate court, presided over by Justice Biobele Georgewill, gave the advice during the hearing of an appeal filed by one of the factions and adjourned the case until March 11.
The court is expected to hear two appeals seeking to overturn conflicting judgments earlier delivered by the Federal High Court in Ibadan and the Oyo State High Court over the legitimacy of the party’s Ibadan convention.
Both factions have since laid claim to the leadership of the party while seeking recognition from the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The Wike-backed faction, led by its National Caretaker Chairman, Mohammed Abdulrahman, had secured a judgment from the Federal High Court in Ibadan on November 25, 2025, nullifying the outcome of the PDP convention held on November 15 and 16, 2025.
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The convention produced a National Working Committee headed by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki.
However, in a separate judgment delivered on February 25, Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court ruled that the convention complied with the provisions of the PDP Constitution and the Electoral Act, affirming Turaki as the duly elected National Chairman of the party.
Following the conflicting judgments, both factions approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja and Ibadan, seeking to set aside the respective rulings.
Speaking on the possibility of reconciliation, the acting National Secretary of the Mohammed-led caretaker committee, Samuel Anyanwu, said his faction remained open to dialogue.
The Merit Newspaper reports that according to him, although leaders of the two factions had yet to meet directly, some party stakeholders were already working behind the scenes to mediate the dispute.
“For the benefit of doubt, nobody is against reconciliation. We have consistently asked them to return so we can rebuild our party,” he said.
Anyanwu, however, accused members of the rival camp of prolonging the crisis for personal interests, insisting that the caretaker committee remained the structure recognised by the electoral body.
He also blamed Makinde for the crisis, alleging that the governor was attempting to dominate the party’s structure.
“Governor Makinde is the major cause of the crisis in the party because he wants to ensure that he is the only governor remaining in the party,” he alleged.
Anyanwu also dismissed claims that Wike was responsible for the internal divisions within the PDP, noting that no PDP governor defected during Wike’s tenure as governor of Rivers State.
But the National Publicity Secretary of the Turaki-led faction, Ini Ememobong, said his camp was equally open to reconciliation, stressing that any settlement must be based on principles capable of strengthening the party.
He clarified that the Court of Appeal did not deliver a final ruling but merely advised the factions to resolve the dispute internally.
“It was not a ruling but an advisory. The judge noted that the matter is primarily an internal affair of the party and encouraged us to explore settlement,” he said.
Ememobong added that the adjournment of the case would allow both sides time to pursue reconciliation.
“We are not averse to reconciliation, but it must be based on principle. We want reconciliation that will strengthen the party, ensure its survival and position it to win future elections,” he said.
