The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has turned down Alhaji Abdulrahman Muhammed’s bid to be Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The Daily Independent says that Muhammed and Sen. Samuel Anyanwu wrote a letter to INEC together to let the commission know that the PDP Ekiti State congress/governorship primary had been pushed back.
The letter to INEC, which was signed by Muhammed and Anyanwu on November 5, 2025, read, “We want to let you know that the PDP Ekiti State congress and governorship primary set for November 8, 2025, has been put off because of logistical issues that make this exercise difficult.” When a new date is set, it will be officially announced.
INEC’s response, dated November 10 and signed by Mrs. Rose Oriaran Anthony, Secretary to the commission, said that their notice did not meet the requirements of part 2(12)3 of the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties. They turned it down because it was not signed by Amb. Umar Damagum, the National Chairman of the party.
The Commission’s response says, “The notice does not meet the requirement of part 2(12)3 of the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022, which says that ‘the National Chairman and National Secretary of the Party shall jointly sign the notice of convention, congress, conference, or meeting and submit same to the Commission.’ Please be guided.”
“The Commission is writing to let you know that it has turned down your application because it does not meet the requirements of the Electoral Act.”
The Board of Trustees (BoT) has also strongly condemned the invasion of the party’s national secretariat by what they called “expelled elements,” who on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, led compromised security personnel and armed thugs to attack party members in an attempt to take over the complex by force.
The BoT also condemned the actions of the “expelled elements” who “mobilized the thugs to try to keep the elected members of the National Working Committee (NWC), led by the new National Chairman, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, along with the governor of Bauchi State and Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Senator Bala Mohammed, his Oyo State counterpart, Engr. Seyi Makinde, and other party leaders from getting into the complex.”
Sen. Adolphus Wabara, the Chairman of the BoT, said in a statement, “Tear gas was fired at the governors and party leaders while the thugs used violence against the PDP national secretariat.”
“The BoT is upset that Barr. Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, was involved. He came to the scene with a lot of security, which seemed to show support for the invaders.”
The board thanks the governors, NWC and BoT members, other party leaders, and many members and supporters for standing up to the invaders.
The BoT said it fully supports the new NWC and the results of the Elective National Convention that took place in Ibadan, Oyo State on November 15 and 16, 2025.
The BoT added, “The convention was held in strict accordance with the party’s constitution, guidelines, the Electoral Act, and all other rules that are in effect. It represents the collective will of delegates and stakeholders of the PDP across the country.”
The BoT firmly condemns the words, actions, and media declarations made by people who were legally kicked out of the party.
The board declared, “Not only are their efforts to undermine the legitimacy of the Ibadan convention and cause confusion within the party structure bad behavior, they also directly attack the principle of internal democracy in our country.”
The BoT asked the Inspector-General of Police to look into the attacks on the PDP national secretariat and make sure that the people who did them are punished. They also said, “Democracy only works when institutions are fair, professional, and not influenced by politics.”
The BoT is the “conscience of the party” and is still committed to protecting the PDP’s unity and democratic values and making sure that the mandate given freely by party members at the Ibadan convention is followed.
“The board therefore asks the new NWC to stay focused on rebuilding and repositioning our party as we march toward victory in the 2027 general elections.”
In the meantime, police closed down the PDP’s national secretariat yesterday after a fight on Tuesday.
Police have put up a big barbed wire fence around the party’s offices. People thought that the order to seal the party came from higher up.
Even though the two groups were far from the party’s secretariat on Wednesday, it was learned that they were having private meetings that the media could not attend.
Remember that on Tuesday, there was a lot of fighting between the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Tanimu Turaki and the Nyesom Wike-backed group. Many people, including Governors Bala Mohammed and Seyi Makinde, were teargassed.
After taking office on Tuesday, Turaki declared, “We have driven them out of the secretariat, and as you can see, I have entered my office and taken over as the elected national leader.”
But he had asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to tell the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to get in line.
About the Author
