congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Taraba State after two different individuals were announced as winners of the party’s state chairmanship position.
The congress, organised by a faction of the party led by Mohammed Abdulrahman, reportedly started peacefully before the process descended into chaos following the announcement of two separate consensus lists for the party’s leadership.
The crisis began when a member of the congress committee declared Victor Falack as the consensus candidate and winner of the PDP state chairmanship position.
The announcement immediately sparked protests among some party members present at the venue.
Moments later, another official of the congress committee contradicted the earlier declaration and announced Ibrahim Sale as the consensus candidate and winner of the same position, alongside other members of the state executive committee.
The official explained that Falack had previously served only as the caretaker chairman of the party in the state and was appointed to oversee the party’s affairs for a short transitional period.
Following the announcement, Sale and other members of the executive committee were quickly sworn into office.
The development angered supporters of Falack, who reportedly confronted the chairman of the congress committee over the conflicting declarations.
The confrontation soon escalated, creating tension at the venue and forcing security operatives to intervene to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.
Police officers eventually escorted the congress committee chairman away from the venue in a patrol vehicle to ensure his safety.
Efforts to obtain comments from Falack were unsuccessful as calls to his phone reportedly went unanswered as of the time of filing this report.
The incident has further deepened the leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party in Taraba State.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, the Abdulrahman-led faction of the party also conducted a state congress in Borno State where Abbas Aliyu emerged as the new state chairman.
Aliyu was elected alongside 34 other members of the state executive committee during the congress held in Maiduguri, the state capital.
Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitored the exercise, and the newly elected executives were sworn in shortly after the congress.
The developments come amid a lingering leadership dispute within the PDP following a recent judgment by the Court of Appeal which set aside the party’s Ibadan convention that produced Tanimu Turaki as national chairman.
Despite the court decision, the Turaki faction has rejected the ruling, insisting that the Ibadan convention complied with the party’s constitution and warning that attempts to overturn its outcome could worsen the internal crisis.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission has announced a revised timetable for political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to the commission, party primaries including the resolution of internal disputes are expected to take place between April 23 and May 30, 2026, to allow sufficient time for compliance with the Electoral Act before the nationwide polls.
