Nigeria’s main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has launched a new reconciliation drive to address deepening internal divisions, with party leaders from rival factions now engaged in talks to restore unity.
The move was confirmed by Tanimu Turaki, who heads a National Working Committee (NWC) backed by PDP governors. Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday, the senior lawyer said discussions between opposing camps were already yielding signs of progress.
“I can confirm that leaders of both sides, as of today, are working towards solutions. So reconciliation is ongoing, and all hope is not lost,” Turaki said.
He added that individuals allegedly benefiting from the crisis had been sidelined, allowing for more productive engagement between the factions. “From last night, those who are benefiting from this crisis and who do not want reconciliation to work have been shut out. So from that time till this morning, both sides are making some progress,” he stated.
Turaki also appealed to party members and supporters to avoid actions or statements that could undermine the fragile peace process, warning that inflammatory rhetoric could derail efforts to stabilise the party ahead of future elections.
The reconciliation push comes against the backdrop of a worsening leadership dispute within the PDP. On Tuesday, governors elected on the party’s platform rejected what they described as a consensus arrangement by a rival faction aligned with Nyesom Wike, involving key national positions.
The governors insisted they would seek legal redress and push for a review of the process in the lead-up to the party’s national convention, signalling that the internal battle for control is far from over.
Senior party figures aligned with the Turaki-led NWC have also indicated readiness to explore legal options to resolve the dispute, even as reconciliation talks continue behind closed doors.
