Following last week’s court ruling that reaffirmed its leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the Alhaji Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Working Committee, NWC, on Monday announced that it has formally assumed control of the party’s affairs and fixed its National Convention for March 28 and 29, 2026, in Abuja.
The planned convention is expected to usher in a new National Working Committee and bring an end to the prolonged leadership disputes that have unsettled the party in recent months.
The decision was disclosed in a communiqué released at the end of the 105th National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting held on Monday in Abuja.
The communiqué was jointly signed by the Caretaker National Chairman, Hon. Abdulrahman Muhammed, and the Caretaker National Secretary, Sen. Samuel N. Anyanwu.
As part of efforts to restore internal stability and uphold constitutional processes, the NEC approved a nationwide timetable for party congresses. Ward Congresses are scheduled for February 2026, Local Government Congresses will also take place in February 2026, while State Congresses are slated for March 2026.
The NEC further directed the National Caretaker Committee to immediately “activate Convention Sub-Committees and commence full logistical, administrative, and consultative preparations” to guarantee a transparent and credible convention process.
In a decisive move, the NEC reaffirmed the Hon. Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Caretaker Committee as the “only lawful national administrative organ of the Party.”
To avoid any leadership vacuum at lower levels, the NEC also approved the extension of the tenure of all affected Caretaker Committees at both State and Zonal levels.
Addressing the series of legal disputes surrounding the party, the NEC welcomed the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, which validated the current leadership arrangement.
“NEC welcomed and affirmed the judgment… which upheld the legality of the Party’s leadership and administrative arrangements and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to recognize the duly constituted National Caretaker Committee,” the communiqué stated.
The party leadership also stressed that all resolutions adopted at the earlier Emergency 104th NEC Meeting remain “binding, lawful, and operative,” noting that every step taken was in strict adherence to the PDP Constitution and the Electoral Act.
Earlier in his address to the NEC, Mohammed declared that the “cloud of uncertainty” over the party has finally cleared, signalling a renewed focus on internal democratic processes and the long-awaited national convention.
Speaking extensively on the recent Federal High Court ruling in Ibadan, which nullified a rival convention held in the city last year, Mohammed described the judgment as a “much-needed legal clarity” that confirmed the legitimacy of his leadership and that of the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
“The judgement has conferred existential credibility on the leadership of our great party as presently constituted. This outcome did not come by accident. It is the reward of your collective decision to stand on the side of the law,” Mohammed told NEC members.
He described 2025 as a “testing and refining period” during which the party faced sustained internal pressure and attempts to circumvent established procedures.
According to him, the PDP withstood multiple judicial challenges and emerged “refined, strengthened and reoriented.”
With legal uncertainties now resolved, the National Working Committee announced its readiness to proceed with pending activities, including outstanding state and regional congresses, leading to a constitutionally compliant national convention.
“We are today firmly positioned to roll out our activities without hesitation or uncertainty,” Muhammed said, urging party members to move beyond past divisions.
Striking a conciliatory note, the chairman extended an olive branch to aggrieved members who aligned with rival factions, insisting that the legal victory belongs to the party as a whole and not to any individual group.
“In this process, there are no absolute losers. I call on all members of our great party, at every level, to jettison divisive tendencies and destructive rhetoric. Now is the time to heal wounds and rebuild trust,” he stated.
Mohammed also commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for his “intellectual depth” and leadership during what he described as a “trying period,” while expressing appreciation to former Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, for his commitment to due process and the “supremacy of the law.”
What you should know
The People’s Democratic Party has been grappling with internal leadership disputes for several months, leading to parallel claims of authority within the party.
The recent Federal High Court judgment in Ibadan provided legal clarity by affirming the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Caretaker Committee as the legitimate leadership recognised by INEC. With the ruling now settled, the PDP is shifting focus to rebuilding internal cohesion through congresses and a national convention in 2026.
Party leaders believe the process will reset the party’s structure, restore confidence among members, and reposition it ahead of future electoral contests.
