A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared its intention to take control of the party’s national headquarters next Monday.
The declaration comes barely 24 hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognised the Wike-backed faction of the party.
INEC had on Thursday allowed representatives of the faction to participate in its first quarterly stakeholders’ meeting with political parties in 2026, a move seen as a significant boost to the group’s legitimacy.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, the factional National Secretary of the PDP, Samuel Anyanwu, said the group was poised to assert its authority at the party’s secretariat.
“By next Monday, we will take over the PDP headquarters,” Anyanwu declared.
The PDP has been embroiled in a prolonged leadership crisis, which has split the party into two rival factions with competing claims to the national leadership.
Amid the deepening rift, the Wike-backed faction recently announced plans to hold a national convention on March 28–29, 2026. However, the move has been strongly opposed by governors and other key stakeholders aligned with the rival faction, who have rejected both the convention and the legitimacy of the group behind it.
The latest development further underscores the growing internal turmoil within the opposition party as the battle for control of its structure intensifies.