Turaki meets PDP State Chairmen as leadership crisis deepens

The Tanimu Turaki–led National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has opened fresh consultations aimed at resolving the deepening leadership crisis within the opposition party.

On Wednesday, Turaki met with state chairmen of the PDP at the Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, marking the first major engagement since his emergence as National Chairman at the Ibadan Convention.

The meeting, attended by at least 29 state chairmen and led by the chairman of the State Chairmen Forum, Tony Aziegbemi of Edo State, signals the beginning of a series of strategic interactions planned by the Turaki leadership to stabilise the party.

The chairmen took turns to introduce themselves as heads of their respective states, underscoring their commitment to the reconciliation process.

In his opening remarks, Turaki urged the state chairmen to bring forward fresh ideas that would help reposition the PDP for future success, stressing that his leadership is focused on rebuilding and consolidating.

He also dismissed the activities of loyalists of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who had inaugurated a rival caretaker committee on Sunday in an attempt to take control of the party structure.

Turaki encouraged the state chairmen to prepare for the challenging work ahead, insisting that the PDP under his watch “means business” and is determined to restore internal cohesion. The meeting later went into a closed-door session to deliberate on sensitive issues affecting the party.

The PDP remains split between two factions laying claim to its national leadership. One group is aligned with Nyesom Wike and led by Abdulrahman Mohammed, while the Turaki-led group enjoys the backing of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed. As of now, no court has delivered a ruling affirming the legitimacy of either faction.