The Peoples Democratic Party’s National Caretaker Working Committee, aligned with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, pressed ahead with its 2026 national convention on March 29 despite injunctions and internal warnings. Delegates ratified a largely Wike‑backed leadership slate and announced a joint disciplinary panel to manage Wike–Atiku‑aligned tensions.
The PDP’s internal crisis has stretched for years, sharpening after the 2023 elections. The current split Wike‑backed caretaker committee versus the Makinde/Turaki governors’ bloc—has been playing out since late 2025, with parallel conventions, court rulings, and defections intensifying through 2026. Leaders themselves describe it as a “prolonged” and “turbulent” road to the March 29 convention. One national officer described the outcome as “cease‑fire, not peace,” noting that parallel structures in Rivers and Oyo remain.
The convention went ahead under heavy security, with organizers insisting all arrangements were concluded. Critics say the split now playing out in courts and competing meetings deepens PDP’s fragility just a year before 2027 elections, even as the ruling APC projects unity.
