We’ll field candidates in 2027, take over ‘Wadata Plaza’ Monday, says Wike-backed PDP

The Abdulrahman Mohammed tendency in the Peoples Democratic Party PDP has dismissed fears that the party will not field candidates for the 2027 general election, saying the party is now well-heeled to have candidates.

This was as the leadership tussle within the PDP reached a fever pitch on Thursday as Mohammed’s faction which was recognized by a recent court ruling announced plans to take over the party’s national secretariat, Wadata Plaza, by Monday.

Speaking on the sidelines of the INEC Consultative Meeting with Political Parties in Abuja, the National Secretary of the party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, alongside the National Chairman, Hon. Abdulrahman Mohammed, declared that the era of leadership ambiguity within the party is over.

The move follows a Federal High Court judgment on January 30, 2026, which nullified the PDP National Convention held in Ibadan on November 15–16, 2025.

INEC has invited the Nyesom Wike-backed PDP, as well as the court reinstated leadership of Senator Nenadi Usman of the Labour Party LP.

The Abdulrahman Mohammed faction which is currently recognized by INEC, emphasized that the ruling effectively removed the rival leadership from power.

“Last Friday, as a matter of fact, the federal high court made it very clear that the problem of leadership is over, because the so-called convention of November 15th, 16th, 2025, is a nullity and that no other person should parade himself or herself as a member of the National Working Committee of the PDP.

“That the only recognized body of the PDP that has the full powers to speak for the party, to work for the party, is the National Working Committee led by Honourable Abraham Mohammed.”

Addressing why the faction had not yet occupied the party headquarters, Anyanwu noted that legal and security hurdles had to be cleared.

He revealed that a recent attempt by the Tanimu Turaki faction to use the police to block their access was dismissed by the courts.

“Police took over the place and then the other group went to court to ask police to reopen, and the matter was dismissed because they had no locus. So, by Monday, we are taking over the office”, he declared.

Anyanwu reassured the party faithful that the resolution of the crisis ensures the party will be able to field candidates in upcoming elections.

“Party members are already happy because those who were afraid that PDP will not have candidates in the next coming elections, it is now settled that the party will fill candidates from A to Z,” he said.

The PDP leadership also reacted to comments made by the INEC Chairman regarding the frequent crises in political parties and the potential for deregistration.

Anyanwu dismissed the notion that such concerns applied to PDP’s current situation.

“He said sometimes one wonders the essence of registering parties or parties retaining their registration when often they always have a crisis. Well, first of all, that has nothing to do with our party, as a matter of fact, because in our party we have no problem, we have no faction, we have just one leadership”, Anyanwu declared.

Regarding the registration of two new parties, bringing the national total to 21, Anyanwu described it as a “good development,” noting that one of the new entries resulted from a prior court judgment in Lokoja.

When questioned about the Senate’s reported resolution not to mandate the electronic transmission of election results, the PDP scribe remained cautious, describing the reports as “speculation.”

“The white paper is not out yet. We have not seen the clear report of what the Senate has said. So I cannot comment on that,” he stated.

The Parties Further Stated That It Is For This Reason That They Have To Preserve And Protect Any Loopholes That Could Aid The Manipulation Of The Electoral Process To Their Advantage.

“However, Regardless Of Their Party Affiliation, We Would Have Expected The Senators To Rise Above Party Sentiments And Act In The Best Interest Of Democracy, For Which The Legislature Remains Its Most Important Symbol. But As Usual, They Failed The People They Are Supposed To Represent.

“In The Last Election, We Are Witnesses To The Plethora Of Cases Where The Court, Especially The Supreme Court, Held That There Was Nowhere In The Principal Act, Which Is The Electoral Act 2022, Where Electronic Transmission Was Made Mandatory And Therefore The Act Is Lacking In Legislative Parentage. This Immediately Signalled A Lacuna That Needed To Be Urgently Fixed To Ensure That Future Elections Do Not Suffer The Same Fate.

“However, Beyond Providing A Basis For Judicial Action In Future, The Electronic Transmission Will Increase Transparency, Trust And Belief In The Electoral Process, Which In Turn Will Deepen And Consolidate Democracy In Our Country. With This Rejection, The Senate Has Returned Nigeria To Square One,” The Statement Added.

The Parties Also Noted That The Ball Is Now In The Court Of The Conference Committee Which Is Expected To Align Itself With Nigerians To Adopt The Position Of The House Of Representatives On Mandatory Real-Time Electronic Transmission Of Election Results.

They Call On The Committee To Ensure That They Do Not Act As Politicians, Whose Eyes And Thoughts Are Only On The Next Elections, But As Statesmen, Who Should Have The Next Generation In Mind.

“We Are Trusting That They Will Act In The Best Interest Of The People, To Forestall The Negative Consequences That May Result In Foisting Anti-Democratic Laws On The People,” The Opposition Parties Said.