PDP Crisis: Wike, Makinde Factions Set to Reconcile After Appeal Court Intervention

Fresh moves are underway to resolve the leadership dispute inside the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after intervention by the Court of Appeal.

Key figures in the two opposing blocs have now indicated readiness to pursue dialogue following advice from the appellate court sitting in Ibadan.

The crisis has pitched supporters of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, against a camp aligned with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.

The dispute revolves around the legitimacy of the party’s national leadership that emerged from the controversial Ibadan convention held in November 2025.

During proceedings at the appellate court, a panel led by Justice Biobele Georgewill advised the rival camps to explore peaceful settlement instead of prolonging the legal battle.

The judge noted that the disagreement was largely an internal party matter and encouraged leaders on both sides to resolve it in the interest of the opposition party.

The court subsequently adjourned the matter to March 11 to allow room for reconciliation talks.

The dispute stems from conflicting court rulings on the outcome of the PDP national convention in Ibadan. The gathering produced a National Working Committee led by Tanimu Turaki as national chairman.

However, a faction backed by Wike rejected the convention’s outcome. The group, led by caretaker chairman Mohammed Abdulrahman, later secured a Federal High Court judgment in November 2025 which nullified the convention and its results.

The legal battle took another twist when the Oyo State High Court delivered a separate ruling months later. In that judgment, Justice Ladiran Akintola held that the convention complied with the provisions of the PDP constitution and the Electoral Act. The court consequently affirmed Turaki as the legitimate national chairman of the party.

Following the conflicting decisions, both factions headed to the appellate courts to challenge the rulings while also seeking recognition from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Speaking on the possibility of settlement, the acting National Secretary of the caretaker committee, Samuel Anyanwu, said his faction remains open to dialogue aimed at restoring unity within the party.

According to him, some influential party stakeholders are already making quiet moves to bring both camps to the negotiating table.

“For the benefit of doubt, nobody is against reconciliation. We are the ones who have been asking these people (Makinde backed faction) to come back so that we can rebuild our party.

“We have not had meetings together, but some people are trying to mediate on their behalf,” he added.

Despite expressing readiness for talks, Anyanwu blamed the prolonged crisis on the Makinde camp. He alleged that the governor was trying to control the structure of the party.

“Governor Makinde is the major cause of the crisis in the party because he wants to make sure that he is the only governor remaining in the party,” he alleged.

He also rejected claims that Wike’s political influence was responsible for the division within the party, insisting that no PDP governor defected during Wike’s tenure as governor of Rivers State.

On the other hand, the Turaki-led faction also signalled willingness to reconcile but insisted that the process must protect the party’s integrity.

The faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, clarified that the appellate court merely advised both sides to settle the matter internally.

“It is not a ruling; it is an advisory. The judge simply said he had read through the files and that the matter is primarily an internal affair of the party and gave us the opportunity to settle,” he said.

Ememobong explained that the court deliberately adjourned the case to give both factions time to explore dialogue and prevent further damage to the opposition party.

“We are not averse to reconciliation, but it must be based on principle. We want reconciliation that will build the party, ensure its survival and position it to win elections,” he added.

The PDP has been grappling with leadership disputes and internal divisions since the 2023 general elections, with rival blocs struggling for control of the party’s national structure.