The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has brushed off the legal challenge mounted by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which is currently seeking to appeal a recent leadership ruling at the Supreme Court.
Mr. Wike shared his views on Friday night, March 27, 2026, after visiting the Velodrome of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium to inspect the venue for the PDP National Convention scheduled for March 29 and 30.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Turaki-led National Executive Committee (NEC) had earlier that Friday unanimously backed the National Working Committee’s (NWC) plan to appeal the appellate court’s decision.
In response, Mr. Wike dismissed the move as “baseless” and insisted it would not disrupt the convention.
He maintained that the event would go forward as planned, with internal disputes to be settled later.
“I have always said that in any group, there will be grievances. You cannot expect that in a family of two or three people, everyone will always be satisfied, let alone a party with millions of members,” Wike stated.
He added, “There will always be a few who are not happy. We have agreed to sit down with them, understand their concerns and see how we can accommodate them. What is most important is the overall interest of the party.”
The Minister expressed confidence that the party would surprise the nation during the 2027 general elections. “PDP is a very large party. Look at the umbrella; it is wide enough to accommodate everyone,” he remarked.
Regarding the party’s internal structure, Mr. Wike confirmed that zoning had been finalized. “We have already zoned our positions. Every zone has its own slots. The presidency has been zoned to the South, while the chairmanship is zoned to the North,” he explained.
He noted that “We believe this consensus arrangement will make the process easier,” and further asserted that, “For the first time, PDP is presenting a unified front, rather than the usual ‘unity list’ that often reflects internal divisions.”
During his inspection, the Minister noted that preparations were approximately 95 percent complete.
“Seating arrangements for all states have been completed and the VIP section is ready,” Mr. Wike said.
Accompanying the Minister were several high-ranking party figures, including the Chairman of the National Convention Planning Committee, Okezie Ikpeazu; PDP Board of Trustees Chairman, Mao Ohuabunwa; and the Chairman of the National Caretaker Working Committee (NCWC), Mohammed Abdulrahman. Other notable attendees included National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, Ferdinand Alabraba, and Chibudom Nwuche.
