By Obinna Uballa
Fresh divisions have emerged within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 general election as Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, appear sharply divided over a proposed reconciliation deal with the camp of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The disagreement, which surfaced after a series of meetings among senior party leaders, signals a potentially worsening internal crisis for the opposition party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Punch Newspaper reported, quoting sources within the party disclosed that while Makinde and the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) are pushing for a reconciliation arrangement backed by recent court proceedings, Bala Mohammed has rejected the proposal, insisting he cannot work with the Wike faction.
Senior party figures familiar with the discussions said the Bauchi governor made his position known during consultations among governors and party leaders but has since kept his distance from reconciliation talks.
“Governor Makinde and other stakeholders want reconciliation, but Governor Bala is not interested in working with the Wike camp,” a senior party source said. “He believes the relationship has deteriorated too far for genuine cooperation.”
The disagreement reportedly influenced Mohammed’s absence from Wednesday’s expanded BoT meeting in Abuja, where most party stakeholders endorsed efforts to broker peace between the rival camps.
The latest tension follows months of bitter leadership disputes that have paralysed the PDP’s national secretariat and triggered multiple court battles.
The crisis escalated after the PDP governors endorsed the party’s national convention held in Ibadan on November 15–16, 2025, which elected Tanimu Turaki as national chairman alongside other members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
The governors also supervised the handover of leadership from former acting national chairman Umar Damagum to Turaki before Damagum’s tenure ended in December 2025.
However, the Wike-aligned faction rejected the process and on December 8 set up a 13-member caretaker committee headed by Mohammed Abdulrahman as acting national chairman, with Samuel Anyanwu serving as acting national secretary.
Attempts by both factions to take control of the PDP national secretariat at Wadata Plaza later degenerated into chaos, forcing the Nigeria Police to seal the premises.
Both camps subsequently sought recognition from the Independent National Electoral Commission, but the electoral body declined to recognise either faction, prompting a string of legal disputes.
The leadership crisis took another turn after the Court of Appeal delivered judgment on March 9.
In a ruling by a panel led by Justice Mohammed Danjuma, the court upheld an earlier decision of the Federal High Court nullifying the Ibadan convention on the grounds that the process violated the Electoral Act, the Nigerian Constitution and the PDP constitution.
The court consequently invalidated the election of Turaki and other members of the National Working Committee.
In a separate proceeding, Justice Biobele Georgewill of the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan granted all parties leave to pursue an out-of-court settlement and adjourned the case indefinitely to allow negotiations.
The court urged all sides to resolve their differences in the interest of the party, warning them to be mindful of the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission ahead of the 2027 elections.
Despite the judicial window for reconciliation, internal resistance appears to be growing. Party insiders said Makinde and the BoT leadership resolved that both factions should nominate legal representatives and senior party figures to draft terms of settlement that would later be submitted to the Court of Appeal for endorsement.
The proposed committee is expected to determine how key positions within the National Working Committee will be shared and outline a roadmap for implementing the agreement.
However, the refusal of Mohammed to support the process has raised fears that the reconciliation effort could collapse before it begins.
“Some leaders are still trying to persuade him to reconsider,” another source said. “But for now he remains unconvinced that working with the Wike group is possible.”
Meanwhile, the PDP Board of Trustees, led by its chairman Adolphus Wabara, formally announced steps to initiate reconciliation among the rival camps following the court ruling.
In a communiqué issued after an expanded meeting in Abuja, the BoT expressed concern over what it described as damaging leadership disputes that have weakened the party’s unity and effectiveness as the country’s main opposition platform.
The trustees resolved to constitute a special committee to engage legal teams and key stakeholders in order to broker peace and restore stability before preparations for the 2027 elections intensify.
To demonstrate goodwill toward the reconciliation process, the governors-backed faction also announced the postponement of scheduled meetings of the party’s National Caucus, Board of Trustees and National Executive Committee.
However, Wike signalled that any reconciliation would have strict conditions. Speaking during a meeting of his faction’s National Executive Committee in Abuja, the FCT minister said his camp was open to peace but warned that negotiations must be transparent.
“Those who want reconciliation should come with concrete proposals,” Wike said, adding that he would not accept secret negotiations or back-channel deals.
He also rejected suggestions that a new caretaker committee should be formed, insisting that the party’s planned national convention slated for March 29 and 30 must go ahead.
With key figures in the party now publicly divided over the path to reconciliation, analysts say the latest rift could deepen the PDP’s leadership crisis and further complicate its efforts to rebuild ahead of the 2027 general elections.
