As party may face leadership vacuum, loss of INEC recognition
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Otunba Segun Showunmi, has raised alarm over what he described as an imminent “legal extinction” facing the party if urgent constitutional steps are not taken before December 8, 2025, when the tenure of the current National Working Committee (NWC) expires.
Showunmi, in an emergency advisory posted on his Facebook page, said the PDP is entering its most vulnerable constitutional moment in years, with overlapping legal deadlines that could render the party leaderless and unrecognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He warned that unless the party moves within the next 48 to 72 hours, it could slide into what he termed a “self-inflicted legal paralysis”.
“The party will become extinct if they allow December 10 to go by. The law will not encourage contempt, and not even the President would be able to help,” he wrote.
Convention crisis deepens internal fractures
The warning comes just weeks after the party’s controversial national convention held on November 15–16 in Ibadan, where Alhaji Kabiru Turaki was announced as National Chairman. Rather than uniting the party, the exercise has triggered fresh disputes and court actions.
The faction led by Senator Samuel Anyanwu, believed to have political ties to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has approached the courts seeking to void the Ibadan convention entirely. Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has also filed a separate suit challenging the procedures and recognitions grantedy during the convention.
With multiple cases now before the courts, Showunmi said the PDP’s leadership crisis could worsen if constitutional deadlines are not met, potentially compelling INEC or the judiciary to invalidate the party’s leadership structure.
Tenure expires December 8, but legal timelines pose hurdles
Showunmi noted that the tenure of the Ambassador Iliya Umar Damagum–led NWC expires on December 8. Yet, the Electoral Act mandates a compulsory 21-day notice to INEC before any national convention or leadership election.
Similarly, the National Executive Committee (NEC) requires at least seven days’ notice to convene a meeting. With the Board of Trustees (BoT) already lapsed, he warned that the PDP lacks a stabilising internal body capable of managing an orderly transition.
“The Peoples Democratic Party is risking creating a political mess for the country, occasioned purely by their recidivist tendencies,” he added.
Showunmi proposes emergency adherence to PDP constitution
He urged the National Chairman to issue a notice for a NEC meeting within 24 hours. If the Chairman fails to act, he said the PDP constitution empowers two-thirds of NEC members to sign a written request compelling him to convene the meeting. Should he still refuse, NEC members could gather under the doctrine of necessity, record the refusal, and take essential decisions.
Showunmi further advised that the party immediately notify INEC of its intention to initiate leadership transition processes, even if the final dates would be ratified later. This, he argued, is critical to avoiding a technical breach of the 21-day requirement, which could invalidate any subsequent leadership decisions.
He called on PDP governors, senior stakeholders and NEC elders to hold rapid consultations to prevent parallel meetings, quorum crises or boycotts that could invalidate NEC resolutions.
Transition blueprint for the next 30 days
According to Showunmi, the expected NEC meeting must:
Approve a unified transition timetable;
Decide whether to extend the NWC’s tenure briefly, set up a caretaker committee, or limit the NWC to administrative functions pending the next convention;
Reconstitute the Board of Trustees to restore oversight;
Authorise formal correspondence to INEC confirming adherence to statutory requirements.
He also urged the National Legal Adviser to prepare compliance documents, memos and evidence that could withstand possible court challenges. The National Publicity Secretary, he said, must publish a communication strategy to reassure members and counter misinformation across state chapters.
“Here is a plan if arrogance will not replace clear thinking,” Showunmi cautioned.
He insisted that within 30 days, the PDP must secure a legally recognised interim or extended NWC, a transition timeline accepted by INEC, a reconstituted BoT, and a fixed date for its national convention.
Failure to do so, he warned, could plunge the party into a “legal blackout” in which it lacks recognised leadership, cannot convene valid meetings, and becomes extremely vulnerable to court injunctions that could cripple its operations.