Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has plunged into a fresh leadership crisis following a judgment by the Supreme Court of Nigeria that invalidated its national leadership structures and triggered an emergency takeover by its Board of Trustees (BoT).
In a development on Thursday, the apex court voided the party’s November 2025 national convention held in Ibadan, which produced the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC).
The ruling also upheld the suspension of key party officials, including Samuel Anyanwu, Umar Bature and Kamaldeen Ajibade, effectively dismantling the party’s national leadership architecture.
The judgment further declared all actions taken by the affected officials — including the appointment of Abdulrahman Mohammed as acting national chairman and the conduct of the March 2026 convention in Abuja — illegal and void from the outset.
Faced with a collapse of its leadership hierarchy, the PDP’s BoT, chaired by Adolphus Wabara, has stepped in to assume control, citing constitutional provisions that position it as the party’s stabilising authority in moments of crisis.
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“The intervention is necessary to prevent a leadership vacuum and restore order,” the BoT said in a statement, signalling what could be a decisive but contentious reset for the embattled party.
Deepening crisis ahead of 2027
The implications of the ruling are significant. With both the Turaki-led and Mohammed-led committees nullified, the PDP is now without a valid National Working Committee at a critical time when preparations for the 2027 general elections should be gaining momentum.
The BoT has announced plans to convene an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to appoint an interim leadership that will steer the party through this turbulent phase and ensure compliance with electoral timelines.
However, political observers warn that the move may not be enough to immediately resolve the party’s deep-seated internal fractures.
The PDP has been battling prolonged factional disputes, power struggles and leadership tussles — issues that have weakened its cohesion and electoral competitiveness in recent years.
In its statement, the BoT appealed to party leaders and members to set aside personal ambitions and unite in the interest of rebuilding the party. It also acknowledged the role of key stakeholders, including governors such as Bala Mohammed and Seyi Makinde, in keeping the party afloat during the crisis.
