The internal leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a new dimension following the emergence of two governorship candidates for the 2027 Benue State governorship election.
The development follows separate presentations of Certificates of Return by rival factions within the party, further exposing the widening divisions over the control and leadership of the opposition platform.
Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Michael Aondoakaa (SAN), received his Certificate of Return at the PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, after emerging as the governorship candidate under the faction reportedly aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Aondoakaa attended the event alongside his running mate, Oyije Ochaekiti Ogbenjuwa, and was joined by party stakeholders and supporters from Benue State.
In a parallel exercise, another faction of the party led by former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), presented a separate Certificate of Return to Emmanuel Agbo, Director-General of the PDP Governors’ Forum, after declaring him winner of its own governorship primary.
While the Wike-backed faction conducted its ceremony at the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja, the Turaki-led camp held its presentation at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, also in Abuja.
The emergence of parallel candidates marks another major chapter in the prolonged crisis within the PDP, with competing blocs continuing to assert legitimacy over the party’s structure and decision-making process.
Political observers note that the latest development may intensify internal tensions within the party ahead of preparations for the 2027 general elections unless a reconciliation process is achieved.
