The management and staff of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the People’s Democratic Institute (PDI) have reaffirmed their allegiance to the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC).

In a joint statement on Tuesday in Abuja, 76 listed staff declared that they would not recognise any leadership alternative to the NWC elected during the party’s national convention held in Ibadan on Nov. 15 and 16, 2025.

The staff, who described themselves as “custodians of the PDP Secretariat”, emphasised that the Turaki-led leadership was validly elected in accordance with the party’s constitution and sanctioned by all legitimate organs.

”We stand by the election of the NWC and all resolutions reached at the Ibadan national convention.

”These decisions represent the exercise of party supremacy over its internal affairs, a position consistently supported by the Supreme Court,” the statement read in part.

The staff relating to recent conflicting judicial pronouncements, specifically a judgement from the Federal High Court, Ibadan and Abuja, argued that numerous Supreme Court precedents established that leadership and convention matters were internal party affairs beyond the jurisdiction of the courts.

They argued that the national convention was legally convened by the National Executive Committee (NEC) during its 101st meeting on July 24, 2025.

They added that the party fulfilled Section 84 of the Electoral Act, 2022, by notifying the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which was present at the convention.

They, however, expressed surprise at attempts by the court to create a caretaker committee, noting that there was no provision in the PDP Constitution for unelected individuals to arbitrarily allocate positions to themselves.

“The immediate NWC is functus officio because their tenure has ended by effluxion of time. No member of that NWC can lay claim to any office under any guise,” the staff noted.

While commending the Turaki leadership for swiftly filing an appeal and a stay of execution against the lower court judgements, the workers called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to intervene and caution judges involved in what they described as inconsistent rulings.

The statement urged party members nationwide to remain resolute and unfazed by the legal hurdles as the PDP repositions itself ahead of the 2027 general elections. (NAN)

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