Wike-Backed PDP Caretaker Committee Dissolves 14 State Executives, Fixes Fresh Congresses for January 2026

The internal leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a decisive turn on Thursday as a faction backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, announced the dissolution of executives in 14 state chapters of the party and unveiled plans to conduct fresh congresses beginning in January 2026.

The decision was taken by the PDP National Caretaker Committee aligned with Wike, which insists that its leadership remains the only legitimate authority recognised within the party structure. The committee reaffirmed Mohammed Abdulrahman as Acting National Chairman and Senator Samuel Anyanwu as Acting National Secretary, rejecting claims of a rival National Working Committee emerging from the Ibadan convention.

The resolutions were contained in a communiqué issued after the committee’s meeting in Abuja and read to journalists by the Acting Publicity Secretary, Haruna Jungun. The development further deepens the factional divide within the opposition party, as competing leadership structures continue to assert authority ahead of future congresses and a national convention.

Caretaker Committee Asserts Sole Legitimacy

At the heart of the committee’s resolutions is a firm assertion that the Abdulrahman/Anyanwu-led caretaker committee remains the only valid leadership of the PDP. The committee dismissed reports suggesting that a National Working Committee led by Tanimu Turaki (SAN), elected at the Ibadan convention endorsed by PDP governors on November 16, had gained official recognition.

According to the communiqué, claims circulating in the media that the Turaki-led executives had been accepted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were described as false. The caretaker committee challenged Turaki to publicly provide evidence of any such recognition, including the code allegedly used to upload his executive list to the INEC portal.

Earlier, Acting Chairman Mohammed said the caretaker committee was operating strictly in line with the PDP constitution and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He maintained that there was only one PDP under his leadership, warning party members and the public against being misled by parallel meetings or rival claims to authority.

Dissolution of PDP State Executives and Affected States

As part of its effort to reassert central control, the caretaker committee ratified the dissolution of state working committees in 14 states. The affected states are Borno, Bauchi, Oyo, Zamfara, Yobe, Ekiti, Bayelsa, Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra, Delta, Taraba, Kano, and Lagos.

In place of the dissolved executives, the committee confirmed caretaker committees to oversee party affairs in those states pending the conduct of fresh congresses. The leadership warned individuals or groups whose actions could bring the image of the party into disrepute to desist, stressing that disciplinary measures could follow continued defiance.

The committee also announced internal appointments aimed at strengthening coordination within its structure. Professor Adenike Ogunse was named Women Leader, Engineer Deji Doherty as Deputy National Secretary, Senator Olaka Ogunwu as Treasurer, and Ambassador Dr. Ibrahim Bala-Aboki as Youth Leader, among others, as portfolios were assigned for effective administration.

Roadmap to January 2026 Congresses and National Convention

Looking ahead, the caretaker committee approved a timetable for the conduct of state congresses, scheduled to commence on January 9, 2026. According to the committee, all outstanding congresses will be concluded within the 60-day lifespan of the caretaker arrangement.

The national convention, the committee clarified, will only be convened after the successful completion of the state congresses. While no specific date has been fixed for the convention, the leadership insisted that the process would follow due constitutional procedure.

The move comes against the backdrop of parallel activities by both the Turaki-led group and the Abdulrahman/Anyanwu caretaker committee, underscoring the deepening leadership struggle within the PDP. As the party navigates this internal contest, attention is expected to focus on how the planned congresses and eventual national convention may reshape its leadership and unity ahead of future electoral contests.