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By Tracy Moses
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday intervened in the lingering leadership tussle within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), convening a crucial meeting of the party’s opposing factions at its headquarters in Abuja.
The meeting brought together the camp led by Tanimu Turaki and the faction headed by Abdulrahman Mohammed, which is reportedly backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Turaki attended the meeting alongside members of his National Working Committee, party secretariat officials, and former Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu. Mohammed, on his part, was accompanied by members of his national caretaker committee, including its secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu.
In his opening remarks, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, explained that the Commission’s intervention followed a series of contradictory letters from the party’s rival leadership groups.
“This meeting has become necessary because we have received several correspondences from different sides requesting one thing or the other,” Amupitan said.
He added that the Commission was acting within its constitutional mandate, noting that, “INEC is statutorily empowered under the Constitution and the Electoral Act to monitor the activities of political parties.”
According to him, the engagement was also informed by preparations for forthcoming elections, including the Federal Capital Territory Area Council polls scheduled for February 21, 2026, as well as the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections slated for June and July 2026.
“As part of the build-up to these elections, INEC has issued its schedule of activities to all political parties, and we are determined to ensure that the processes are smooth and credible,” he said.
Amupitan noted that the conflicting positions coming from the PDP made it necessary for the Commission to convene the meeting in order to clarify issues and chart a common path forward.
“We have received conflicting correspondences from the PDP, and we felt that bringing everyone together to rub minds would help us forge the way forward concerning the forthcoming elections,” he stated.
He expressed satisfaction that senior officials from the contending factions were present at the meeting, stressing that it provided an opportunity for frank engagement.
“I am pleased that top officials from the party are here this morning so that we can discuss as a family, resolve the issues, and move forward,” the INEC chairman said.
Amupitan further assured the PDP factions of the Commission’s neutrality, stressing that its actions were firmly anchored on the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act, and INEC’s regulations.
“INEC operates within a tripod of legal regimes, the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and the regulations we have made, and we are determined to strictly follow these provisions,” he said.
He urged the parties to engage in open and constructive discussions to achieve the objectives of the meeting, after which deliberations continued behind closed doors.
The outcome of the meeting is expected to produce recommendations on how to resolve the PDP’s internal leadership disputes ahead of the forthcoming elections.