The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly denied recent claims by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that there are factions within the party, insisting instead that it remains a unified organisation. The party’s leadership made the denial in response to a letter from INEC explaining its inability to recognise and upload the details of the party’s newly elected national officers.
INEC’s position was outlined in a letter dated 22 December 2025, signed by Dr Rose Oriaran-Anthony, the commission’s secretary. The electoral body said it could not accede to the PDP’s requests to update its official records or upload the names of leaders chosen at the party’s national convention held in Ibadan on 15 and 16 November. The refusal was based on subsisting Federal High Court judgments and ongoing legal challenges related to the party’s leadership.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, rejected the suggestion that there were competing groups within the party. He said INEC’s claims of multiple factions were misplaced and did not reflect the reality within the PDP. According to him, all legitimate organs of the party are under the control of the National Working Committee led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN).
Ememobong said that in the past month a wide range of PDP structures, including the Board of Trustees, the Governors’ Forum, state chairmen, and members of the National Assembly, had met with and acknowledged the Turaki-led leadership. He argued that such broad recognition demonstrated unity rather than division within the party.
He also dismissed a group known as the “committee of friends of Wike and Anyanwu” as not constituting a faction of the PDP. Ememobong stressed that democracy is based on majority rule, and this group did not have a legitimate basis to be described as a separate faction.
The PDP’s statement went further to accuse INEC of bias and inconsistent behaviour in handling the matter. Ememobong said the party had previously met with the electoral commission to clarify relevant issues and expected the commission to act fairly. He criticised INEC for what he described as “hypocrisy and consistent bias” that had influenced its actions and communications on the issue.
The party’s leadership also referred to ongoing legal processes, noting that the contested court judgments had been appealed and that applications for a stay of execution had been filed. Ememobong expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal would soon hear and resolve the matters.
Amid the dispute, the PDP urged its members and supporters to remain calm and focused on the party’s broader goals. The statement emphasised the need for unity as the party prepares for future elections, including the general elections scheduled for 2027.
INEC’s decision not to update the PDP’s leadership information on its website reflects ongoing tensions between the electoral body and the opposition party. INEC said its actions were guided by the rule of law and the need to respect subsisting court orders, underlining its commitment to constitutional processes.
The controversy comes amid a prolonged leadership crisis within the PDP, involving rival groups and court challenges over the legitimacy of party structures. Although the party insists it remains united, the dispute clearly continues to draw national attention and could have implications for its organisational strength ahead of the next election cycle.
