The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened on Monday as the faction backed by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, appointed a 13-member interim National Working Committee (NWC) and released its timetable for the 2027 general elections, days after a rival faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, unveiled a separate schedule.
At its 103rd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, the Makinde-backed bloc appointed Kabiru Turaki as chairman of the interim NWC to oversee the party’s affairs.
Other members of the committee are Woyengikuro Daniel, Hamza Koshe, Ihediwa Nnabugwu, Isa Abubakar, Okechukwu Daniel, Theophilus Shan, Ini Ememobong, Aribisala Idowu, Bara’u Shafi’i, Ogbu Chinenyenwa, Umar Aji, and Arapaja Taofeek, who will serve as secretary.
The appointment followed a motion moved by Aziegbemi Anthony, the PDP chairman in Edo State.
The development comes in the wake of a Supreme Court judgment that invalidated the party’s national convention held on 15 and 16 November 2025, which had produced Turaki as national chairman.
In a split decision delivered on 30 April, three of the five justices of the apex court dismissed an appeal filed by the Turaki-led faction seeking to validate the convention.
Stephen Adah, who read the majority judgment, held that the appellants acted in “flagrant disregard” of a subsisting order of the Federal High Court, which had restrained the party from conducting the convention.
The court ruled that the PDP abused court process by filing a similar suit before another court of coordinate jurisdiction instead of complying with or appealing the initial order.
The case originated from a suit filed by former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, who challenged the conduct of the convention, arguing that he was “unjustly denied” the opportunity to obtain a nomination form to contest for the position of national chairman, in violation of the party’s constitution.
Following the Supreme Court ruling, the Board of Trustees (BoT), led by Adolphus Wabara, announced it would assume leadership of the party.
Amid the leadership tussle, the Makinde-backed faction on Monday released its timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 elections.
In a statement, the party’s spokesperson, Ini Ememobong, said the NEC approved the timetable alongside the appointment of the interim NWC.
He said the party pegged the presidential form at ₦100 million, comprising ₦10 million for expression of interest and ₦90 million for nomination.
Governorship aspirants are to pay ₦5 million for expression of interest and ₦35 million for nomination, while senatorial hopefuls will pay ₦3 million and ₦7 million respectively.
For the House of Representatives, aspirants are to pay ₦2 million for expression of interest and ₦5 million for nomination, while those seeking seats in state houses of assembly will pay ₦500,000 and ₦1.5 million, respectively.
Ememobong added that women are exempted from paying for the nomination form, while youths and persons with disabilities are to pay 50 per cent of the nomination fee.
According to him, the sale of forms will run from 5 to 13 May 2026, while submission of completed forms will close on 14 May.
Screening of aspirants is scheduled for 15 to 18 May, with appeals fixed for 21 May, while the publication of cleared aspirants will take place on 22 May.
Ward primaries for all offices are slated for 27 May, followed by appeals on 28 May. A NEC meeting to approve candidates will hold on 29 May, while a special convention for ratification is fixed for 30 May.
However, the rival PDP faction loyal to Wike had earlier released its own timetable for the 2027 elections.
In a statement signed by Umar Bature, the PDP national organising secretary, the Wike-backed group fixed the presidential form at ₦51 million, comprising ₦1 million for expression of interest and ₦50 million for nomination.
Under its schedule, governorship aspirants are to pay ₦1 million for expression of interest and ₦20 million for nomination, while senatorial aspirants will pay ₦1 million and ₦5 million respectively.
For the House of Representatives, aspirants are to pay ₦1 million for expression of interest and ₦3 million for nomination, while state assembly aspirants will pay ₦1 million and ₦3 million, respectively.
The faction also stated that female aspirants would pay only for the expression of interest forms for all positions.
It fixed its presidential primary for 17 and 18 May, House of Representatives primaries for 21 May, Senate primaries for 23 May, state assembly primaries for 25 May, and governorship primaries for 27 May.
The parallel structures and conflicting timetables highlight the deepening divisions within the PDP as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections.
