Wike-backed PDP faction elects Mohammed, Anyanwu, 19 others as NWC members

FCT minister assures party will be on the ballot in 2027

Lamido urges aggrieved members to return to PDP

Emeka Agu Jnr with agency reports

A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) backed by FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, on Sunday, re-elected Abdulrahman Mohammed and Samuel Anyanwu as national chairman and secretary, respectively.

Mohammed and Anyanwu emerged through a consensus, along with 19 other members of the new national working committee of the PDP, at the party’s 2026 national convention held at the velodrome of the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja on Sunday.

Other prominent party members who attended the convention were a former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido; a former Senate president, Bukola Saraki; and a former Kaduna State governor, Ahmed Makarfi, among others.

Wike, who was identified as the national leader of the party, said the healing in the PDP had begun.

He assured the members that the PDP would be on the ballot for the 2027 general elections.

“So many people have spoken here. Saraki has said, with Abba Moro, and they were asking, ‘Is the PDP going to contest the 2027 election at all?’

“I have told Senator Saraki that, by the grace of God, the PDP will be on the ballot in 2027. We have seen the real convention, the convention that is being monitored by the electoral umpire. That is the convention that is recognised,” he said amid cheers among the delegates.

He said the future of the party must be built on inclusiveness, with equal opportunity for party members.

He commended the delegates for demonstrating good character.

The former Rivers State governor also said that the party would recover its mandate from those who took it.

“I congratulate all of you who stood firm when the storm raged. You showed exemplary resilience when push came to shove. You refused to be downcast when those who pretended to be leaders of the party betrayed you disgracefully.

“You survived the taunts of the naysayers. Together, we are standing on the positive side of purpose and committed to the task of making Nigeria a truly prosperous country,” the minister added.

Mohammed said the party would belong to all members under his leadership.

Earlier, he called on members to embrace inclusiveness as the party repositions itself for the 2027 general elections.

“Today, we choose a higher path. We choose inclusiveness over exclusion, unity over division, we choose renewal over decline,” Mohammed stated at the 2026 PDP National Convention, which was held at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja, on Sunday.

“The PDP has not come here to mourn itself; the PDP has come here to renew itself. This convention is therefore not just about the election; this convention is about restoration, order, not just about position.

“Distinguished delegates, this is not an official day. Today is a moment of reflection, a moment of responsibility, and above all, a moment of renewal. We gather here after a difficult session, a session of disagreement, legal contestation, a session that tested the strength and soul of this party,” he added.

The Chairman of the convention planning committee and former governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, who pegged the number of delegates at 2035, said the party’s door of reconciliation would remain open after the convention.

Other affirmed officers of the party include Aaron Chukwuemeka (Deputy National Chairman, South), Yusufu Nya Akirikwen (SAN) (Deputy National Chairman, North), Kolawale Olabisi (Deputy National Secretary), Odeyemei Mackson Oladiran (National Treasurer), and Lado Dan Marke (Deputy National Treasurer), among others.

Also listed are Eyim Donatus Henry, Dr Grema Kyari, Umar Mohammed Bature, Efere Augustine, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, Egwu Goodluck Chidiebere, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), Barr. Aloysius Chinemelu U. Uba, Osuoha Okechukwu Donatus, Dr Adaba Yatu, Ibrahim Bala Aboki, and Momoh Dejih Eugene Bashir, while Professor Ogunshe Adedayo and Hauwa Ahmed Shinge serve as National Women Leader and Deputy National Women Leader, respectively.

Meanwhile, former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, wants an end to the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and is calling for unity among members ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Lamido, who spoke at the PDP National Convention in Abuja on Sunday, called on aggrieved party members to return to the umbrella fold.

“Those who are under 30 now may not be able to fully appreciate and understand the sacrifices of our founding fathers.

“I am here today as a bridge between the old order and the new order to give you hope, to inspire you, and to motivate you. Don’t give up, stand for Nigeria.

“We are today where we were in 1998 when we introduced tribal politics and ethnicity, and there is no way a country can grow if we are not united, as Nigeria is our benchmark in terms of political leadership.

 “I will urge those who are angry to please consider your position. PDP is Nigeria’s family; it is not about any individual or ego. Please come back to your party, PDP, which dignified you and made you what you are,” he stated.

According to Lamido, PDP has planted its roots in every village across Nigeria.

He claimed that several members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), All Progressives Congress (APC), among others, were once PDP members.