•Natasha (C)
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has expressed confidence that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will participate fully in the 2027 general elections, despite the controversy trailing the recent Supreme Court judgment on the party’s internal leadership dispute.
The Kogi Central lawmaker urged aggrieved members to embrace dialogue and allow peace to prevail, dismissing what she described as misleading narratives surrounding the apex court’s decision, reports Saturday Guardian.
Natasha in a statement clarified that the Supreme Court ruling was limited in scope and did not invalidate the PDP’s entire leadership structure.
“The Supreme Court judgment only invalidated the Ibadan Convention, beware of propaganda aimed at distorting the implications of the verdict.”
The ruling, which dismissed an appeal linked to a factional dispute, had nullified the Ibadan Convention, thereby triggering fresh debates and realignments within the opposition party.
But Natasha maintained that the issue of the party’s National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, was not part of the Supreme Court’s determination.
Providing further context, she noted that the Court of Appeal had earlier upheld a one-month suspension imposed on Anyanwu and three others during the PDP’s 608th National Working Committee (NWC) meeting held on November 1, 2025.
“That suspension was not contested, and it lapsed on December 1, 2025,” she said.
She added that following the expiration of the suspension, the affected members were appointed into a caretaker committee constituted on December 8, 2025, to oversee party affairs and prepare for the March 2026 national convention.
According to her, the outcome of the March convention remains institutionally recognised, noting that the current leadership structure of the PDP is duly reflected on the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Amid lingering tensions, the senator appealed for unity across factions within the party.
“I sincerely wish that all aggrieved members of our PDP family resolve matters amicably,” she said, while also extending goodwill to other political parties ahead of future electoral contests.
Reaffirming her optimism, she declared: “The PDP will field candidates in the 2027 general elections, and we shall definitely win a good number of seats.”
