The Sokoto State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing a deepening Sokoto PDP crisis, as rival factions have produced parallel governorship candidates and competing state executive committees ahead of future elections. The development underscores widening internal divisions within the opposition party in the state, with both camps insisting on legitimacy and recognition from the national leadership.
One faction, reportedly aligned with the camp of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, held a political gathering in Sokoto on Saturday. At the meeting, the group announced Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi Sokoto as its governorship candidate for the state. The faction also inaugurated a new state executive committee, naming Alhaji Aminu Hayatu Tafida as chairman. The exercise was reportedly supervised by a representative of the PDP national headquarters, Alhaji Mustapha Borodo.
The event was attended by several party stakeholders, including the PDP National Organising Secretary, Umar Muhammad Bature, and a former member of the House of Representatives from Sokoto North/Sokoto South Federal Constituency.
Speaking during the gathering, Bature stated that the leadership dispute would ultimately be resolved through legal channels. He noted that a court judgment expected on July 11, 2026, would determine the authentic leadership structure of the party in Sokoto State, adding that the outcome would guide future party direction.
However, a rival faction loyal to former presidential aspirant Tanimu Turaki rejected the congress and inauguration conducted by the opposing group. The faction insisted that its own structure remains the legitimate leadership of the party in Sokoto State.
Earlier, the group had endorsed Alhaji Mustapha Shehu Sokoto, a former Chairman of Sokoto North Local Government Area and former chairman of the Sokoto State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), as its governorship candidate.
Speaking on behalf of the rival faction, its chairman, Alhaji Bello Aliyu Goronyo, dismissed the parallel congress and inauguration as invalid. He maintained that the current executive remains the only legally recognised leadership of the PDP in the state.
Goronyo stated that the executive was elected and inaugurated in October 2024 for a tenure running until October 2028, arguing that any other group claiming authority lacks legal backing. He further stressed that decisions made by rival factions, including candidate endorsements and executive appointments, are not binding on the party.
According to party insiders and observers, the emergence of parallel structures reflects the depth of the ongoing Sokoto PDP crisis and the intensity of internal competition for control of the party machinery in the state.
The matter is expected to be further shaped by ongoing legal processes, which may ultimately determine the authentic leadership of the PDP in Sokoto State ahead of future elections. Political analysts note that the resolution of the dispute will play a critical role in shaping the party’s electoral strength and unity going forward.
