Ahead of the 2027 general elections, governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, including Seyi Makinde and Bala Mohammed, have intensified consultations with key political figures amid a deepening internal crisis within the party.
The governors recently met with Seriake Dickson and Rabiu Kwankwaso, as reconciliation efforts between their camp and the faction aligned with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike stalled.
Makinde and Mohammed first held a closed-door meeting with Dickson in Bauchi before traveling to Kano, where they joined Kwankwaso and Peter Obi. Although officially described as part of Eid-el-Fitr celebrations, sources said the talks included discussions on political alignments ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The meeting coincided with the 10th annual Dandalin Kwankwasiyya, a gathering of political stakeholders and supporters loyal to Kwankwaso. Organizers said the event also served as a platform to strengthen alliances ahead of future political engagements.
Meanwhile, tensions persist within the PDP, which has been split into rival factions for nearly a year. The division pits a governors-backed group against a faction aligned with Wike.
The Wike-backed National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, accused the governors’ faction, led by Tanimu Turaki, of attempting to undermine the party’s national convention scheduled for March 29 and 30.
In response, the Turaki faction’s spokesman, Ini Ememobong, dismissed the allegation as blackmail, insisting the group remains committed to reconciliation.
The crisis stems from a disputed convention held Nov. 16 in Ibadan, where Turaki and others were elected into the National Working Committee. In December, the Wike-aligned faction established a 13-member National Caretaker Working Committee, naming Abdulrahman Mohammed as acting national chairman and Samuel Anyanwu as acting national secretary.
On March 9, the Court of Appeal nullified the Ibadan convention, ruling that it violated the Electoral Act, the Constitution and the PDP’s constitution, thereby invalidating the election of Turaki and other officials.
Despite recent signals from both sides indicating a willingness to reconcile, disagreements over party leadership and the upcoming convention have stalled progress.
Makinde said aligning with Wike’s faction would amount to supporting President Bola Tinubu in 2027, a position he rejected.
“We have the people behind us,” Makinde said, adding that the opposing camp had the backing of the government, judiciary and electoral body.
Mohammed, however, downplayed the rift, saying disagreements within the party are not irreconcilable and that reconciliation efforts are ongoing through established mechanisms.
The Wike-backed faction reiterated that the convention would proceed as scheduled, citing binding court rulings affirming the authority of the caretaker committee.
It also accused the Turaki-led group of planning legal action to halt the convention, an allegation the governors’ camp denied.
Ememobong said the governors’ faction remains open to dialogue and urged the opposing group to prioritize reconciliation over confrontation.
Political observers say the outcome of the ongoing crisis and consultations could shape opposition alignments ahead of the 2027 elections.
