Nigeria’s electoral umpire, INEC, has issued a stern warning to the rival factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), urging them to urgently resolve their leadership crisis. With critical off-season elections in the FCT, Ekiti, and Osun fast approaching, INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan summoned both groups, stating the commission was inundated with “various conflicting correspondences” from the party.
The meeting brought face-to-face the faction led by Tanimu Turaki and the camp backed by Minister Nyesom Wike, led by Abdulrahman Mohammed. Amupitan stressed that INEC’s actions are guided strictly by the Constitution and the Electoral Act, emphasizing the need for a unified opposition for credible polls. “We are determined to ensure that we follow the provisions of the law,” he said.
While the Turaki faction presented its case and noted matters are before the Court of Appeal, the Wike-backed group insisted their caretaker committee is the legitimate leadership, as the previous administration’s term expired. As INEC pushes for resolution, the clock is ticking for the PDP to unite before the elections test both the party’s cohesion and the commission’s neutrality.