Wike-Backed PDP State Chairmen Tell Jonathan To Cut Ties With Turaki Camp

The leadership dispute within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened yesterday as the Forum of the 36 state chairmen and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chairman called on former President Goodluck Jonathan to publicly distance himself from a rival group, while the Edo State chapter of the party rejected the allegations and accused the forum of spreading falsehoods.

The call was coming barely 24 hours after Jonathan met with President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.

Jonathan has remained silent about his presidential ambition since the PDP group led by Tanimu Turaki (SAN), picked him as their candidate for the 2027 election.

However, at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, the Chairman of the PDP Chairmen’s Forum, Austin Nwachukwu, appealed to Jonathan to disassociate himself from a group led by Tanimu Turaki (SAN), alleging that the former president’s name was being used to legitimise activities that had no backing from the party’s recognised leadership.

“It is public knowledge that your name is being used by these people to perpetuate their activities. This must stop. Silence in the face of such misuse damages not just the party but your legacy of peace and statesmanship,” Nwachukwu said.

The forum further alleged that Jonathan’s name had been submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) without the approval of the party’s recognised leadership and insisted that the authentic list of candidates had already been electronically transmitted in accordance with electoral laws.

The state chairmen also called on security agencies to investigate what they described as the alleged forgery and distortion of court judgments by the rival camp, accusing the group of impersonating the PDP leadership and misleading the public by presenting itself as a faction of the party.

They maintained that the only recognised PDP leadership is the National Working Committee headed by National Chairman Abdulraham Mohammed and National Secretary Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu.
The forum also urged the National Working Committee to institute contempt proceedings and other legal actions against members of the rival group over alleged impersonation, forgery and disobedience of court orders.

In addition, the chairmen asked the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to order a security review of an office in Area 10, Garki, Abuja, which they alleged was being used to coordinate activities capable of threatening public peace.

They further announced plans to make available certified true copies of court judgments relating to the party’s leadership dispute to counter what they described as misinformation.
However, in a swift response issued in Benin City, the Edo State chapter of the PDP, led by Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, dismissed the claims made by the forum and challenged the assertion that Turaki had been expelled from the party.

The chapter said no competent organ of the PDP had validly expelled the former minister and challenged those making the allegation to produce documentary evidence and any court judgment affirming such an expulsion.

The Edo PDP also disputed Nwachukwu’s claim to be speaking for the Forum of PDP State Chairmen, alleging that he had been suspended from the forum for gross misconduct and therefore lacked the authority to represent it.

According to the statement, the Forum of PDP State Chairmen had, at a press conference in Abuja on October 14, 2025, distanced itself from litigation seeking to stop the party’s national convention and took disciplinary action against Nwachukwu over his role in the suit.

The chapter said Dr. Tony Aziegbemi was subsequently elected chairman of the forum and maintained that the suspension of Nwachukwu remained in force.

On the party’s leadership dispute, the Edo PDP argued that the question of which leadership should be recognised by INEC remains before the Court of Appeal, warning against comments capable of prejudicing matters pending before the court.

It urged party members, the media and the general public to disregard what it described as attempts to prejudge issues that are sub judice, expressing confidence that the appellate court would ultimately determine the dispute.

The chapter also criticised the call for security agencies to intervene in the disagreement, insisting that internal political disputes should be resolved through the party’s constitutional structures and the courts rather than through law enforcement agencies.

It further described the attempt to draw former President Jonathan into the crisis as unnecessary, saying the former president should remain above internal party disagreements and that his name should not be used by any group to legitimise its position.

Reaffirming its commitment to constitutionalism, internal democracy and the rule of law, the Edo PDP urged members across the country to remain calm and united while awaiting the final outcome of the judicial process.