The Taminu Turaki faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee has criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for recognizing the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike-backed caretaker committee, describing the move as unconstitutional and provocative.
The Turaki-led NWC, in a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, warned that it will explore all available legal measures to dispute the commission’s decision.
Last Friday, a Federal High Court in Ibadan declared the PDP National Convention, held on November 15, 2025, at Ibadan, Oyo State, null and void, and ordered Tanimu Turaki (SAN) and numerous others to stop representing the party as national officers.
Prior to the verdict, PDP governors had supported the Ibadan Convention, which produced Turaki and members of the National Working Committee for a four-year term.
However, the FCT Minister and his friends, Abdulrahman Mohammed and Senator Samuel Anyanwu, insisted on remaining Acting National Chairman and Acting National Secretary, respectively.
Even though the governors enabled a transition from former Chairman Umar Damagum to Turaki before Damagum’s tenure expired on December 9, the Wike-aligned camp formed a 13-member caretaker committee on December 8, naming Mohammed, Anyanwu, and others to serve for a 60-day period.
Following that, both the governors’ group and the Wike-aligned faction asked INEC for official recognition, but the electoral authority refused to admit either side, resulting in numerous legal issues as the 2027 general elections approach.
In response to the court judgment, the Turaki-led PDP NWC, through its Publicity Secretary Ini Ememobong, declared that its legal team had been instructed to submit an instant appeal and pursue all possible legal options.
Meanwhile, the Wike-backed faction praised the verdict that barred Turaki and others from serving on the party’s National Working Committee and promised to hold a new convention to elect new NWC members.
As a result, INEC formally acknowledged the Wike-backed Caretaker Committee on Thursday, appointing persons as Acting Chairman, Acting Secretary, and National Organizing Secretary to represent the PDP at the commission’s quarterly consultative meeting with political parties in Abuja.
Ememobong responded by urging party members to remain calm and patient as the pending judicial matters involving the party’s leadership problem are resolved.
The statement partly read, “We are aware that the Independent National Electoral Commission invited the leaders of political parties to a meeting today and extended the invitation to some former members of our party who are purporting to lead a so-called National Caretaker Committee to represent our party, whereas there is no such provision in our constitution.
“This action, though ordinarily vexatious and capable of causing a widespread breach of peace, will be met with all possible legal responses.
“Though not unexpected of this current INEC leadership, it is expected that an impartial umpire would have taken notice of the pendency of the matters in the Court of Appeal (including the judgment that they are relying upon), which, when decided, will effectively affect the subject under consideration, and exercised restraint therefrom. We can assure you that INEC will not choose a leadership for our party.
“Consequently, we urge all our members to remain calm and hopeful that, soonest, the Court of Appeal will hear and determine all the cases concerning the leadership of our party.
“We assure that the Rebirth movement of our party, under the able leadership of Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, is steady and secure and will ultimately surmount all these challenges to present a stronger and more united party to Nigerians as a credible alternative to the ruling party that has brought untold sorrows, tears, and blood to Nigerians.”
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
