PDP faces legal extinction by Dec 8, if… – Showunmi

PDP Faces Legal Extinction by December 8 - Showunmi

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria’s main opposition party, is currently engulfed in a constitutional crisis that threatens its very survival.

According to Otunba Segun Showunmi, a prominent chieftain of the party, the PDP risks “legal extinction” if urgent corrective steps are not taken before December 8, 2025, when the tenure of the current National Working Committee (NWC) officially expires.

Showunmi raised alarm that the party is sliding into a leadership vacuum that could result in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) refusing to recognize its leadership structure. He described the situation as a “self-inflicted legal paralysis,” warning that unless the PDP acts within 48 to 72 hours, it may lose its legal standing as a political entity.

The crisis comes on the heels of the controversial national convention held on November 15–16 in Ibadan, where Alhaji Kabiru Turaki was announced as National Chairman. Instead of unifying the party, the convention deepened internal divisions.

The faction led by Senator Samuel Anyanwu, aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has already taken the matter to court, seeking to nullify the Ibadan convention. Similarly, former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido has filed a separate suit challenging the procedures and recognitions granted during the exercise.

Showunmi emphasized that the tenure of Ambassador Iliya Umar Damagum’s NWC ends on December 8, yet the Electoral Act requires a mandatory 21-day notice to INEC before any national convention or leadership election can take place. Additionally, the National Executive Committee (NEC) requires seven days’ notice to convene.

With the Board of Trustees already lapsed, the PDP lacks a stabilizing internal structure to manage the transition.

In his emergency plan, Showunmi urged the National Chairman to issue a notice for a NEC meeting within 24 hours. If the Chairman refuses, two-thirds of NEC members could compel him to convene the meeting, or alternatively, meet under the principle of necessity. He also advised that preliminary notification be sent to INEC to avoid breaching the 21-day requirement.

The proposed NEC meeting would be tasked with adopting a transition timetable, deciding whether to extend the NWC’s tenure briefly, appoint a caretaker committee, or restrict the NWC to administrative functions until a convention is held. It would also reconstitute the Board of Trustees to restore oversight. Showunmi stressed that the National Legal Adviser must prepare compliance reports to withstand court challenges, while the National Publicity Secretary should reassure members and counter misinformation.

Ultimately, Showunmi warned that within 30 days, the PDP must secure a legally recognized interim or extended NWC, a transition calendar accepted by INEC, a reconstituted Board of Trustees, and a fixed convention date.

Failure to achieve these steps could plunge the party into a “legal blackout,” leaving it without recognized leadership, unable to convene valid meetings, and vulnerable to injunctions that could immobilize it entirely.