A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party has scheduled March 28 and 29, 2026, for its national convention in Abuja, where it plans to elect a new National Working Committee and other statutory organs of the party.
The decision was announced in a communique released following the conclusion of the 105th meeting of the National Executive Committee of the PDP, which took place on Monday in Abuja.
The communique bearing the resolution was jointly signed by Abdulrahman Muhammed, identified as National Chairman of the National Caretaker Working Committee, and Samuel Anyanwu, who signed as National Secretary.
The announcement comes amid continuing leadership disputes within the PDP, with competing factions seeking legal and political validation of their respective claims to the party’s control.
National conventions serve as the highest decision-making bodies of political parties in Nigeria, where delegates elect national officers, adopt party manifestos, and make critical decisions on the direction of the party. The Electoral Act 2022 and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provide the legal framework within which political parties must operate, including requirements for internal democracy and periodic elections of party executives.
The PDP, which governed Nigeria from 1999 to 2015 and remains the country’s leading opposition party, has been embroiled in factional disputes over leadership legitimacy and the validity of previous conventions. These disputes have resulted in parallel executive structures, with each faction claiming to represent the authentic leadership of the party.
The National Caretaker Working Committee represents a transitional leadership structure typically established to oversee party affairs during periods of crisis or to organise fresh elections of substantive officers. Such arrangements have been employed by Nigerian political parties in the past to manage internal conflicts and provide a neutral platform for resolving leadership disputes.
The scheduled March convention is expected to address key issues related to the party’s administrative structure and political direction ahead of future electoral engagements, including the 2027 general elections.
However, the effectiveness and recognition of the convention will likely depend on the resolution of ongoing legal disputes and the extent to which various stakeholders within the PDP accept the legitimacy of the Muhammed-led caretaker committee.
