INEC rejects PDP's new national officers, cites court orders, deepening crisis

The internal crisis within Nigeria’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has intensified, following a formal refusal by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise a new leadership faction led by Kabiru Turaki.

INEC, in a December 22, 2025, letter, stated it cannot recognise the National Working Committee elected at a party convention held in Ibadan on November 15-16, 2025.

The commission cited its legal obligation to obey final court judgments from the Federal High Court in Abuja, issued in October and November 2025, which explicitly restrain it from supervising, monitoring, or recognising the outcomes of that convention.

This decision comes despite requests from PDP lawyers and follows a meeting between INEC and the party’s feuding camps.

One faction, backed by Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, convened the Ibadan convention that produced Turaki’s committee.

An opposing camp, aligned with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, has established a parallel party structure.

INEC clarified that conflicting court orders exist—including one from an Oyo State High Court that permitted the convention—but emphasized that final judgments from the Federal High Court take precedence.

The commission also noted that the PDP itself has a related lawsuit pending and that appeals filed do not automatically suspend the existing court orders.

Consequently, INEC maintains it is legally bound to withhold recognition of the Turaki-led committee until the competing court cases are fully resolved, highlighting a prolonged stalemate in the opposition party’s leadership battle.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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