INEC Urges PDP Factions to Reconcile Ahead of 2026 Off-Season Elections

INEC Urges PDP Factions to Reconcile Ahead of 2026 Off-Season Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday summoned the two rival factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), urging them to urgently “put their house in order” ahead of upcoming off-season elections.

The meeting brought face-to-face the Tanimu Turaki-led faction and the Nyesom Wike-backed group led by Abdulrahman Mohammed, with both sides represented by senior party officials. Turaki arrived with members of his National Working Committee (NWC), secretariat staff, and former Niger State Governor Dr Babangida Aliyu, while Mohammed’s team included members of the PDP caretaker committee, including Secretary Senator Sam Anyanwu.

Speaking at the session, INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan said the Commission had received “various conflicting correspondences” from contending actors within the PDP, prompting the need for a joint dialogue.

“With the FCT Area Council polls and governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun around the corner, we are determined to follow the provisions of the law and move forward as a family,” Amupitan said. “We felt that rubbing minds together would help forge the way forward concerning these elections.”

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The FCT election is scheduled for February 1, 2026, while Ekiti and Osun governorship elections will hold in June and July 2026, respectively. Amupitan emphasised that INEC’s actions are guided strictly by the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and INEC regulations.

After the meeting, Turaki said his faction was invited on short notice and was surprised that expelled members were also present. He explained that his team outlined its positions on the lingering issues, which remain before the Court of Appeal, noting that INEC promised to seriously consider their submissions.

“INEC is an umpire and will always want to conduct an election that is transparent and acceptable. Where major participants are unable to participate, it casts a dark shadow on the outcome,” Turaki said. He also urged INEC to probe the sources of internal crises in opposition parties.

For the Wike-backed Abdulrahman Mohammed group, Senator Sam Anyanwu said the leadership of the PDP expired on December 9, 2025, creating a vacuum that justified the caretaker committee appointment. Anyanwu praised INEC for its approach, describing the chairman as “a man blessed with wisdom,” and assured that the PDP remains the major opposition party.

“The crisis stems from greed, ambition, and ego, but PDP has mechanisms to manage internal conflicts, and we will come out stronger,” he said, urging aggrieved members to return for reconciliation and future conventions.

The meeting signals INEC’s proactive stance in ensuring the main opposition party is united ahead of critical 2026 off-season elections, including the FCT, Ekiti, and Osun polls.

INEC Urges PDP Factions to Reconcile Ahead of 2026 Off-Season Elections