The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been thrown into fresh political turbulence following the appointment of Ambassador Umar Turaki as Caretaker Committee Chairman by a faction of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) believed to be firmly backed by Oyo State Governor and PDP Presidential aspirant, Governor Seyi Makinde.
The appointment, which came after a stormy NEC session, is widely seen as a calculated power move by the Makinde-aligned bloc to wrest control of the party’s administrative machinery ahead of the critical 2027 general elections.
Turaki’s emergence as Caretaker Chairman effectively sidelines the existing party leadership structure, deepening the internal crisis that has plagued the PDP in recent months following bitter divisions over zoning, presidential ambitions, and the party’s strategic direction.
Supporters of the move argue that a caretaker arrangement is necessary to stabilise the party, reconcile warring factions, and reposition PDP as a credible opposition force capable of challenging the ruling APC in 2027.
Critics, however, warn that the appointment could further fracture the already divided party, with loyalists of the displaced leadership vowing to resist what they described as an illegal and unconstitutional takeover.
All eyes are now on the PDP’s National Working Committee and its response to the latest power play as the battle for the soul of Nigeria’s biggest opposition party intensifies.
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