Controversy has rocked the Peoples Democratic Party in Plateau State, as a faction aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has elected Peter Tongshep as its new state chairman.
The election, which took place on Tuesday, has been described as a “peaceful consensus congress” by the faction, with Tongshep, a former PDP chairman in Mikang LGA of the state, emerging alongside 38 other executive members.
The event proceeded under tight security, with heavy deployment of personnel to ensure order and protect participants, and was supervised by a seven-member delegation from the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The congress attracted prominent figures from the Wike-aligned faction, including former Minister of Sports, Damishi Sango and another former Minister, Musa I. Azi; Sarpiya Danyaro, Aminu Zang, as well as Board of Trustees members Timothy Golu and Johnbul Shekarau, among other party stakeholders.
This development comes amid heightened calls for reconciliation within the Plateau PDP, as rival groups continue to jostle for control of the party’s structures amid the national leadership crisis rocking the main opposition party.
Dr. Samaila Rukuba, who identified himself as the newly elected PDP spokesman for the state, described the congress as “very peaceful and orderly.”
He noted that with the conclusion of state congresses, attention has now shifted to the national convention scheduled for March 29 in Abuja.
Rukuba urged all well-meaning PDP members in Plateau to work towards reconciliation and focus on reclaiming what he termed the party’s “runaway mandate.
However, the official Plateau State chapter of the PDP has dismissed the election as “baseless fabrications” orchestrated by mischief-makers.
In a statement on Tuesday, the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Choji Felix Dalyop, stated that the current leadership, led by Hon Raymond Dabo, emerged from a peaceful and transparent elective congress held on October 25, 2025, and will serve until 2028.
It stressed that the exercise was observed by INEC and conducted in compliance with the PDP constitution and the Electoral Act.
“Our great party wishes to explicitly inform its teeming members, stakeholders, and the general public that it has absolutely no reason, intention, or plan to substitute or conduct a fresh state congress to replace the duly elected chairman alongside 38 other executive members,” the statement reads in part.
It added that the tenure of the current executive committee runs until 2028, and there is no official communication suggesting otherwise.
The party warned those behind the alleged rumours and reaffirmed its readiness to participate in the 2026 local government elections under PLASIEC and the 2027 general polls.