Category: News Update

The crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) escalated on Tuesday as the party’s staff and management declared their support for the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led leadership, rejecting a Federal High Court ruling in Ibadan that constituted a caretaker committee.

In a statement signed by 76 staff members—including Acting Director of Administration Gambo Isa Guade, Director-General of the Peoples Democratic Institute Dr. Edward Ugbada, and other senior directors—the group affirmed that the Turaki-led leadership remains the legally recognised National Working Committee of the party.

The staff argued that, under the party constitution, only the National Executive Committee has the authority to set a date for the National Convention, a process they said was duly executed at the party’s 101st NEC meeting in July.

The statement reads, “The Management and Staff of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peoples Democratic Institute (PDI) have noted the recent judgment of the Federal High Court, Ibadan on the issue of the leadership of our great party and as critical stakeholders of the Party, state as follows.

“That the entire Management and Staff of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), reaffirm our recognition, loyalty and allegiance to the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki SAN-led National Working Committee (NWC) of our great Party, which was duly and legally elected at the Party’s National Convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15-16, 2025.

“That we stand by the election of the National Working Committee and all other resolutions reached at the Ibadan National Convention as they are in the general interest of our party in the exercise of its supremacy over its internal affairs in line with the Constitution of the PDP and extant judgments of the Supreme Court.

“That the staff of the PDP, as custodians of the PDP Secretariat, will not align with or recognize any other unauthorised leadership apart from the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki SAN-led National Working Committee (NWC) because the leadership was validly elected at the National Convention sanctioned by all the legitimate organs of the Party.

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“That, it is already established in a plethora of judgments of the Supreme Court that issues of membership, leadership, congresses and Conventions of a political party are entirely the internal affairs of the Party requiring only the Party internal mechanism to which the courts have no jurisdiction to interfere or interrogate.

“That there was no legal encumbrance whatsoever against the conduct of the National Convention in Ibadan to elect new National Officers of our party, as it was legally convened by the National Executive Committee at its 101st meeting of July 24, 2025 pursuant to its powers under Section 31 (2) (a) of the PDP Constitution.

“That our Party fulfilled the statutory requirements of the law as stipulated in Section 84 of the Electoral Act, 2022, by notifying INEC of the National Convention, which was convened with them (INEC) in attendance.

“Similarly, on the just delivered Supreme Court Judgment in the case of INEC vs SDP & Ors, the Apex Court, while admonishing INEC, reaffirmed its longstanding position that what is required of the Political Parties is to “Notify” the Commission as required by law; and this our Party has done.

“We are also aware that, according to the Electoral Act, the only time a Convention, Congress, or Meeting would be voided under the law is if notice of such events were never given to the Commission, which is not the case in this instance.

“Under Section 31 (3) of the PDP Constitution, the decision of the National Executive Committee (in this case to hold the Convention to elect a new leadership of the party) is binding on all organs and members of the Party; a provision which rendered the litigation by the two former members of the party and the consequential judgments against the Convention by Justice Kolawale Omotosho and Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court Abuja surprising.

“In the case of the judgment of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, it is clearly inconsistent with the extant judgment of the Supreme Court on the party’s internal affairs, especially as the subject matter is before an appellate court on the ground of want of jurisdiction of the trial court.

“It is of particular concern that Justice Agomoh accused our party of conducting the Convention in disobedience to the order of the court when, actually, the judge was made aware of the ruling by the Oyo State High Court, which ordered our Party to conduct the exercise.

“It is equally surprising that Justice Uche Agomoh, in her Judgment turned the law on its head by granting reliefs that were not sought against our Party to the extent that she attempted to create a Caretaker Committee with the intention to foist the same on our party outside the limit of her jurisdictional power.

“There is no provision in our Party’s Constitution empowering any unelected individual or group to arbitrarily form committees and allocate positions to themselves.

“As custodians of the National Secretariat of the PDP, we are very much aware that the immediate past NWC is “funtus officio” since their tenure has ended by effluxion of time, and therefore, no member of that NWC can lay claim to any office under any guise whatsoever.

“We commend the leadership of our Party for swiftly filing an appeal and Stay of Execution, which puts the judgment by Justice Uche Agomoh in abeyance and retains the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee, which was duly elected at the Ibadan Convention, legally intact, valid, and fully operational.

“We are optimistic that the appellate Court will set aside these judgments that are intended to reverse the gains we have made in our democratic journey as a Nation.

“As critical stakeholders in the democratic process, we urge the National Judicial Council (NJC) to caution judges who are complicit in delivering judgments or issuing orders that make them appear as willing tools in the hands of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to cripple opposition and destroy our hard-earned democracy.

“The action of these judges is of particular concern because it is eroding the confidence of Nigerians in the judiciary. We fear that when such confidence is eroded, citizens have the tendency to resort to self-help, a recipe for crisis in the country.

“We call on members of the PDP not to be fazed by the Judgment but remain resolute as our party takes firm steps to surmount all the huddles and reposition on the path of victory ahead of the 2027 general elections.”

• …Why we embark on road infrastructure revolution, by President Tinubu

• …As government emphasises road abuse, maintenance, sustainability

The federal government has explained why it is ramping up investments in road infrastructure, citing the sector’s critical role in linking farms, industries, and citizens to economic opportunities nationwide.

President Bola Tinubu noted that the step becomes inevitable considering that road infrastructure is the backbone of Nigeria’s socio-economic life, with over 90 per cent of passenger and freight movement in the country relying on roads.

“The condition, reliability, and sustainability of our federal road network therefore have a direct bearing on economic productivity, national integration, road safety, and the overall quality of life of Nigerians,”

The President spoke in Abuja on Tuesday at the 2026 FERMA Roads Summit, themed ‘Sustainable Road Infrastructure for National Growth’, where he highlighted a few flagship interventions that reflect this renewed focus.

“The Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, spanning approximately 750 kilometres, is designed to unlock Nigeria’s blue economy, enhance connectivity along our coastal corridor, and stimulate tourism, trade, and industrial development.

“Complementing this is the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway, a historic 1,068-kilometre north-south corridor that will connect the far northwest of our country to the Atlantic coast, opening new economic frontiers and strengthening national integration.

“Those that are currently being driven on Abuja-Kaduna, Zaria-Kano Road, Abuja-Lokoja-Benin road, Benin-Asaba-Superhighway, and Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe.

“Those that have been completed or nearing completion include Lagos-Ibadan expressway; Bodo-Bonny road; Oyo-Ogbomoso Road; 9th Mile- Oturpo-Makurdi Road; and Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway.

“Together, these highways redefine Nigeria’s road transport architecture and symbolise our determination to build infrastructure that unites and grows the nation.

“In addition, the completion of major bridges, most notably the Second Niger Bridge and the rehabilitation of critical assets such as the Third Mainland Bridge, Eko Bridge, and Carter Bridge in Lagos, as well as strategic links across the Niger Delta and other regions, demonstrate this administration’s resolve to close connectivity gaps and preserve existing assets.

“Importantly, these projects are being executed with a new emphasis on engineering excellence, climate resilience, and long-term service life, with design lives of 50 to 100 years in mind”.

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, the President stressed that building new roads is only half the task; maintaining them is equally critical.

“Sustainable road maintenance is not an option; it is a compelling necessity. Without it, today’s investments become tomorrow’s liabilities,” Tinubu said, emphasising FERMA’s mandate in routine audits, post-failure assessments, and data-driven maintenance.

He further noted that a comprehensive, geo-referenced database of federal roads is being developed to track failures, causes, and interventions, allowing Nigeria to shift from emergency repairs to predictive and preventive maintenance.

The President also outlined key pillars for sustainable road governance, including clear institutional mandates, predictable funding, enforcement of axle-load regulations, use of durable, climate-resilient materials, and public-private partnerships.

“This administration has demonstrated immense political will to achieve the desired objectives.”

The Minister of State for Works, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, who represented the Minister of Works, David Umahi, said road abuse, such as overloading, reckless driving, and unauthorised use, was shortening the lifespan of federal roads and draining public resources, calling for stronger measures to protect infrastructure investments.

Noting that while the government continues to invest heavily in road construction and maintenance, misuse of roads is undermining those efforts, the Minister described tackling road abuse as essential to safeguarding public funds and ensuring long-term value for citizens.

“Road abuse remains a critical challenge. Practices such as overloading, reckless driving, and unauthorized road use shorten the lifespan of our investments. The consequence is a heavy drain on lean government resources, forcing repeated repairs instead of allowing us to expand and modernize our network,” Goronyo said.

Commending President Tinubu for prioritising road infrastructure and backing FERMA’s mandate, Goronyo emphasised that the administration had repositioned infrastructure as a pillar of economic stability and national security.

“Mr. President’s mandate is clear, we are building a $1 trillion economy, and that economy cannot run on failed roads,” he said.

He said the administration was pursuing reforms in infrastructure financing despite fiscal constraints, including a shift from annual budget dependence to alternative models.

“This administration has made bold choices despite fiscal constraints. We are accelerating legacy projects, focusing on vital corridors, and moving beyond annual budgets toward Public Private Partnerships, life cycle costing, and innovative resource management,” Goronyo said.

He added that the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund was being used to close funding gaps, stressing that there would be “zero tolerance for waste.”

Outlining the government’s approach to sustainability, the Minister said it rested on modern construction standards, technology-driven maintenance, and climate resilience.

“Sustainability today means three things: adopting modern construction standards, including concrete pavement technology to extend road life; transitioning to technology-driven maintenance, with FERMA leading a proactive, data-driven model; and building climate resilience and local capacity, using materials that withstand changing rainfall patterns while empowering indigenous contractors and Nigerian professionals,” he said.

However, Goronyo noted that sustainability also required institutional and behavioural changes, including predictable funding, stronger coordination among agencies and the private sector, and a shift in attitude towards routine road maintenance.

“Our roads represent a social contract with the Nigerian people. When we build sustainably, we lower food prices, improve healthcare delivery, enhance competitiveness, and unite our nation,” he said.

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Goron­yo also acknowledged the National Assembly Committees on FERMA for what he described as sustained oversight and budgetary support, as well as Minister Umahi, for guiding the sector.

Earlier, FERMA Managing Director and Chief Executive, Dr Emeka Agbasi, identified deteriorating road assets, funding constraints, climate-related damage, and safety risks as major threats to Nigeria’s economic growth.

He said Nigeria’s dependence on road transport made the challenges urgent, noting that roads carry most passenger and freight movement nationwide.

“Despite their importance, we are all aware of the persistent challenges facing our road sector: deteriorating assets, maintenance backlogs, climate-induced damage, funding constraints, and road safety concerns,” he said.

He warned that the problems increase transport costs, lengthen travel time, reduce competitiveness, and endanger lives.

Agbasi said sustainable road infrastructure required a shift from short-term repairs to long-term, lifecycle-based planning, backed by data-driven asset management, predictable maintenance funding, and stronger institutional coordination.

He said the summit was timely, stressing that well-maintained roads were critical to trade, job creation, rural development, and national cohesion.