Senior figures in Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have set out sweeping and contentious conditions for reconciliation as efforts intensify to end a long-running internal crisis that has fractured its leadership and weakened its electoral standing.
Consultations between rival camps within the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) are under way, but those involved caution that talks remain at an early and delicate stage. Issues under discussion range from the party’s leadership structure and the possibility of convening another national convention, to the lifting of suspensions, public and private apologies, and a wholesale reset of internal processes.
Members of both factions — one led by the senior advocate of Nigeria Tanimu Turaki and the other aligned with Abdulrahman Mohammed — told local media on condition of anonymity that options being explored include an emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) or a fresh national convention to resolve competing claims to authority.
The crisis deepened after PDP governors threw their support behind the Ibadan convention of 16 November, where Turaki and his allies were elected to a four-year term. However, the minister of the federal capital territory, Nyesom Wike, and his supporters insist that Mohammed and Senator Samuel Anyanwu remain the party’s acting national chairman and secretary.
Although governors facilitated a transition from the former chairman, Umar Damagum, ahead of the end of his tenure in December, the Wike-aligned bloc moved swiftly to set up a 13-member caretaker committee with a 60-day mandate — a step that further entrenched divisions.
Both camps have since lobbied Nigeria’s electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for official recognition. INEC has so far declined to endorse either faction, a stalemate that has had immediate consequences: the PDP currently has no recognised candidate for the Ekiti governorship election.
Beyond the regulatory impasse, the party has continued to haemorrhage members, with defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress accelerating and others drifting to smaller opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress.
One senior party source said the hardening position of INEC had forced leaders to confront the limits of litigation as a strategy. “It has become clear that taking this matter through the courts could consume years,” the source said. “By the time it reaches the supreme court, other parties would have concluded their primaries for 2027.”
According to those involved in the talks, there is growing agreement that prolonged legal battles would drain resources, deepen mistrust and further erode the party’s relevance. As a result, alternative dispute resolution — including negotiated compromises — is now being prioritised.
Among the conditions being canvassed are the withdrawal of all court cases, the lifting of suspensions and expulsions, and assurances that no further punitive actions would be taken against dissenting members. Some stakeholders are also pressing for public apologies to heal wounds opened by months of acrimonious exchanges that, at times, nearly turned violent.
Others argue that only a full reset will suffice: dissolving existing leadership structures at a properly constituted NEC meeting, setting up a caretaker committee jointly nominated by both factions, and ensuring that INEC formally witnesses the process. If that fails, a fresh convention — with earlier decisions reversed — is being floated as a last resort.
Another party insider said trade-offs may be unavoidable. “In some states or party organs, there may have to be compromises or fresh congresses to properly reconstitute structures,” the source said. “The key is that everyone must obey the Electoral Act and the party’s constitution.”
Efforts at reconciliation are being led by senior figures, including the former Senate president Bukola Saraki, alongside PDP leaders in the National Assembly, NEC members and figures within the board of trustees. “It is reconciliation,” one source said. “When the time is right, members will be briefed.”
Publicly, spokespeople for both camps have struck a conciliatory tone. Ini Ememobong, the national publicity secretary of the Turaki-led NWC, said discussions were ongoing and that the leadership was open to compromise in the interest of unity, though he stressed that any process must respect existing conventions and court proceedings.
Similarly, Okechukwu Osuoha, a member of the Wike-backed caretaker committee, acknowledged that dialogue was the only viable path forward, warning that legal missteps had already cost the party dearly. “INEC has published governorship candidates for Ekiti, and the PDP has none,” he said. “These are the consequences of instability.”
Political analysts say the stakes could scarcely be higher. Hassan Saliu, president of the Nigerian Political Science Association, argued that reconciliation was the PDP’s only realistic option. “Litigation often worsens internal party crises,” he said. “Dialogue, compromise and sacrifice are essential. A winner-takes-all approach does not work in politics.”
For now, the talks continue quietly. But with the clock ticking towards 2027, many within the PDP believe the window for meaningful reconciliation is rapidly closing.
