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Wike-backed PDP leaders at Thursdays INEC stakeholders meeting in Abuja
By EMMANUEL OLONIRUHA
The Nyesom Wike-led National Caretaker Committee of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is presently attending the regular quarterly meeting of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that at the ongoing meeting are the National Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Abdulrahman Mohammed and the Secretary Sen. Samuel Anyanwu.
Though no official comment from INEC on the development, it is coming a few days after a judgment of a Federal High Court in Ibadan refusing to recognise the Tanimu Turaki-led leadership of the party.
While the Mohammed-led NWC had welcome the judgment, the Turaki-led NWC rejected and appealed the judgment, explaining that the party had earlier approached the Ibadan court for an order of mandamus to compel INEC to recognise the leadership produced by the Ibadan convention.
Turaki, however, said that the court declined the prayers on the grounds that it would amount to sitting on an appeal over courts of coordinate jurisdiction.
NAN reports that the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, had, on Dec. 19, 2025, met with leaders of the two warring PDP factions, ahead of the Feb. 21 FCT area council elections as well as the forthcoming Osun and Ekiti state governorship elections.
Also at the meeting was Nenadi Usman, the Interim National Chairman of Labour Party (LP) and the National Secretary, Sen. Darlington Nwokocha.
At the were also the National Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council, Yusuf Dantalle and national chairmen and national secretaries of other political parties, including Omoyele Sowore of African Action Congress (AAC).
NAN reports that INEC had on Wednesday held similar meetings with civil society organisations (CSOs) and media executives, ahead of the FCT area council elections scheduled for Feb. 21.
The commission is also expected to hold the same quarterly consultative meeting of Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) on Friday.
A check on INEC website shows that Umar Damagun is still listed as National Chairman and Anyanwu as National Secretary of PDP.
For Labour Party, the commission’s website already reflected the names of Usman and Nwokocha as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary respectively, with a remark of “court order” by the commission. (NAN)