A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supported by Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has slated March 28 and 29 for the election of new members of the national working committee (NWC).

The dates were approved on Monday during the faction’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting held in Abuja. In a communiqué issued after the meeting, the party praised the recent ruling of the Federal High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, which nullified the November 15 national convention. The PDP NEC expressed “absolute” confidence in the independence of the judiciary for upholding the rule of law.

According to the party, ward and local government congresses will take place in February, while state congresses will precede the national convention, scheduled for March in Abuja. The Wike-backed faction also approved the extension of the tenure of the national caretaker working committee (NCWC) led by Abdulrahman Muhammed, along with other panels at state and zonal levels, pending the completion of the congresses.

“NEC called on all members of the party at all levels to remain united, disciplined, and loyal to the PDP, eschew actions capable of undermining Party cohesion, and place the collective interest of the party above personal considerations,” the communiqué read. “NEC reaffirmed that the PDP remains committed to rebuilding a strong, disciplined, democratic, and electorally competitive party capable of providing credible leadership and governance to Nigerians.”

The development follows a faction of the PDP backed by Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, and Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi, which convened a national convention in Ibadan in November 2025, electing a new set of national officers with Kabiru Turaki as chairman. The convention was preceded by conflicting court rulings, with some federal high courts in Abuja halting the exercise over alleged breaches of the party constitution and electoral laws, while the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan cleared the PDP to proceed and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to monitor the event.

The Wike faction, which opposed the convention, subsequently formed a parallel NWC, board of trustees (BoT), and NEC. In December, INEC rejected a request to recognise the Turaki-led NWC, citing multiple court verdicts.