The Sokoto PDP crisis has intensified following the emergence of rival factions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Sokoto State, each announcing separate governorship candidates and parallel state executive committees ahead of future elections. The deepening division highlights ongoing struggles for control of the party structure, with both camps insisting they represent the authentic leadership of the opposition party in the state.
One faction, reportedly aligned with supporters of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, held a gathering in Sokoto where it announced Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi Sokoto as its governorship candidate.
The group also inaugurated a parallel state executive committee, appointing Alhaji Aminu Hayatu Tafida as chairman. The event was supervised by a representative from the party’s national headquarters, Alhaji Mustapha Borodo. Key stakeholders, including PDP National Organising Secretary Umar Muhammad Bature and a former federal lawmaker, attended the gathering.
Speaking at the event, Bature noted that the Sokoto PDP crisis may ultimately be resolved through the courts, adding that a judgment expected on July 11, 2026, would determine the legitimate leadership structure in the state. The faction insisted that its decisions, including candidate selection and executive appointments, were valid and backed by the national leadership.
However, a rival faction loyal to former presidential aspirant Tanimu Turaki rejected the congress outcome and insisted it remains the authentic leadership of the party in Sokoto State.
This group had earlier endorsed Alhaji Mustapha Shehu Sokoto, a former local government chairman and ex-ALGON state leader, as its governorship candidate. Speaking for the faction, chairman Alhaji Bello Aliyu Goronyo dismissed the parallel congress, describing it as illegitimate and without party recognition.
Goronyo maintained that the current executive committee was elected in October 2024 for a four-year tenure ending in October 2028, stressing that no rival group has the authority to dissolve or replace it. He added that all actions taken by opposing factions, including candidate announcements, hold no legal or party validity.
Political observers say the emergence of parallel executives and competing candidates reflects deep-rooted divisions within the Sokoto PDP crisis, warning that the internal conflict could weaken the party’s electoral prospects. They also note that the outcome of ongoing legal proceedings will be critical in determining the future leadership structure and unity of the party in the state ahead of upcoming elections.
