By David Lawani
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with former President Goodluck Jonathan as part of efforts to address the party’s lingering leadership crisis.
The meeting took place at Jonathan’s office in the Maitama District of Abuja. It was attended by members of the PDP’s NWC alongside some state chairmen of the party, led by Tanimu Turaki.
Sources told Channels Television that discussions at the meeting focused on internal party challenges, national issues, and possible pathways to stabilise and reposition the opposition party ahead of upcoming elections.
The PDP has been engulfed in a protracted leadership dispute, with two factions claiming the national chairman’s position. Abdulrahman Mohammed is backed by a bloc loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, while Tanimu Turaki is supported by camps aligned with Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.
The crisis has raised concerns within and outside the party, prompting interventions by key stakeholders, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). On December 19, 2025, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, convened a meeting of the rival PDP factions at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Amupitan said the intervention became necessary following conflicting correspondences from the party, especially as preparations intensify for the FCT Area Council elections and the Osun and Ekiti polls scheduled for February 21, 2026, as well as the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections slated for June and July 2026.
The INEC chairman reaffirmed the Commission’s neutrality and commitment to conducting credible elections in line with the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and its regulations.
He urged the PDP factions to resolve their differences in the interests of the party and the wider democratic process.
