The minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has stated that the appeal lodged by a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Turaki will not hinder the party’s planned national convention.
The Turaki-led group had approached the Supreme Court on Friday. It asked the court to stop the faction supported by Wike from holding its convention scheduled for March 29 and 30.
The dispute follows earlier developments within the party. In November 2025, a PDP national convention backed by governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State took place in Ibadan. During that exercise, party officials were elected, with Turaki emerging as chairman.
However, on March 9, the Court of Appeal in Abuja nullified the convention. The court ruled that the organisers failed to comply with guidelines set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting such events. This decision prompted the Wike-backed faction to begin fresh preparations for another convention.
Wike spoke on Friday night after inspecting the venue of the planned gathering in Abuja. He insisted that the court action would not affect the programme.
“There is room for accommodation. The PDP is a very large party. Look at the umbrella, it is wide enough to accommodate everyone,” he said.
“I have always said that in any group, there will be grievances. You cannot expect that in a family of two or three people, everyone will always be satisfied, let alone a party with millions of members.
“There will always be a few who are not happy. We have agreed to meet with them, understand their concerns, and explore how we can accommodate them. What is most important is the overall interest of the party.”
He added that arrangements for the convention had already been structured along zoning lines.
“We have already zoned our positions. Every zone has its own slots. The presidency has been zoned to the south, while the chairmanship is zoned to the north. We believe this consensus arrangement will make the process easier.”
The minister maintained that the convention would go on as scheduled. He also noted that efforts to address internal disagreements within the party would continue after the event.
Earlier in the week, Turaki said his faction had begun reconciliation talks with the Wike group. He said the aim is to ensure the PDP presents candidates for all elective positions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
