Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission were on ground on Sunday as the Peoples Democratic Party began its national convention at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja.
The disclosure was made by Lere Olayinka, spokesperson to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who noted that key representatives of the electoral body attended the exercise.
Delegates arrived early at the velodrome of the stadium, where accreditation and security screening were ongoing, with party faithful dressed in PDP-themed attire.
Among notable figures at the venue were Wike, the chairman of the caretaker committee, Abdulrahman Mohammed, and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mao Ohuabunwa. The arena was adorned with the party’s colours and insignia.
The convention, expected to run through Sunday and Monday, will produce a new set of national officers to pilot the affairs of the opposition party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Providing details via his X handle, Olayinka stated that INEC was represented by National Commissioners, Prof. Sani Adams (SAN) and Dr Ken Ukeagu. He added that other officials present included Joan Arabs, Director of Election and Party Monitoring; Rakiya Nauzo, Director of Legal; Nkechi Abuh, Director of Drafting and Clearance; as well as Mustapha Abubakar, Mas’ud Hassan, Rakiya Dattijo, Umar Hassan, and Babangida Shanu.
The gathering is holding amid internal rifts within the party and legal disputes stemming from a parallel convention organised by a faction of PDP governors in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November 2025.
Under the PDP Constitution (2017, as amended), the National Working Committee consists of 19 members, including principal officers such as the National Chairman, National Secretary, Organising Secretary, and Publicity Secretary, among others.
Previous reports indicated that a bloc loyal to Wike had embraced a consensus method in filling key positions, with those elected expected to serve a four-year term.
Speaking earlier, Wike assured that efforts to reconcile aggrieved members would continue after the convention, stressing that internal disagreements were common in political organisations.
Notwithstanding the legal challenges, the National Caretaker Working Committee insisted that there was no subsisting court order stopping the convention.
Its spokesperson, Jungudo Mohammed, said all requirements had been met to ensure a smooth and credible exercise, urging members to remain peaceful despite attempts to disrupt the process.
He reiterated that while the party remained open to dialogue and reconciliation, it would resist any action capable of destabilising its structure.
