The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected claims of a leadership vacuum, intensifying a deepening internal crisis that has pitted rival blocs against each other in the wake of a recent Supreme Court ruling.
The PDP on Friday accused a faction led by Adolphus Wabara and allies of Tanimu Turaki of misrepresenting the judgment and misleading the public over the party’s leadership status.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the party’s publicity secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, said the ruling of the Supreme Court of Nigeria addressed only the validity of the disputed Ibadan convention and did not touch on the tenure or removal of any party officials.
“This remains the sole substance of the judgment,” Mohammed said, rejecting what he described as “false narratives” circulating within party circles. “At no point did the court pronounce on the suspension or expulsion of any officer.”
The court had, in a split 3–2 decision, invalidated the PDP’s national convention held in Ibadan in November 2025, which produced a rival leadership aligned with the Turaki bloc and backed by Oyo state governor Seyi Makinde. The judges ruled that the gathering breached existing court orders.
But Mohammed insisted the judgment did not create a leadership vacuum, maintaining that the party’s national chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, and national secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, remain the recognised leaders.
“There has never been a vacuum or obstruction in the leadership of our party,” he said. “The structure remains intact, lawful and fully operational.”
The PDP spokesman also dismissed suggestions that the party’s board of trustees (BoT) could assume interim control, arguing that its constitutional role does not extend to taking over the functions of the national working committee.
In a pointed rebuke, he questioned Wabara’s authority to speak for the party, claiming his tenure as BoT chair had expired and that the only legitimate leadership of the board was under Mao Ohuabunwa.
“Senator Adolphus Wabara should retrace his steps from making statements on behalf of the party,” Mohammed said, warning that further “infractions” would not be tolerated.
The statement marks an escalation in the party’s internal feud, with the PDP leadership accusing dissenting figures of attempting to destabilise the organisation after failing to secure judicial backing.
Wabara, however, had earlier declared that the party was without a functioning leadership and announced that the BoT would step in to stabilise it, convening emergency meetings in Abuja.
The latest exchange underscores widening fractures within the PDP, as competing factions interpret the court’s ruling to bolster their claims — raising fresh questions about the party’s cohesion ahead of the next electoral cycle.
