Wike Rejects Atiku and David Mark’s Return to PDP Following Supreme Court Ruling on Party Leadership

FCT Minister Nyesom Wike labels Atiku and David Mark "political liabilities," declaring the PDP leadership crisis settled by the Supreme Court.

By: AXL Media

Published: May 1, 2026, 6:34 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from LEADERSHIP Media Group

Minister Declares End to Internal Party Factions

In a detailed briefing at his Abuja residence on Thursday evening, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, declared that the long standing leadership crisis within the People’s Democratic Party has reached a definitive conclusion. Wike maintained that the Supreme Court's latest intervention has effectively extinguished the faction led by Tanimu Turaki, leaving no room for further dispute over the party's hierarchy. According to the minister, the judiciary has validated Mohammed Abdulrahman as the legitimate National Chairman, a move he described as the final step in allowing the party to move forward without internal distractions.

Atiku and Mark Dismissed as Political Liabilities

Addressing the possibility of reconciliation with prominent figures who moved toward the African Democratic Congress during the crisis, Wike adopted a rigid stance against the return of key actors. He specifically named former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Senate President David Mark as individuals the party is no longer interested in accommodating. Describing them as political liabilities, the minister noted that these figures are currently engaged in separate coalition meetings that do not involve the mainstream PDP. He distinguished between rank and file members and these "principal actors," whom he suggested have lost their relevance within the current party structure.

Legal Assessment of the African Democratic Congress Status

Wike, providing an analysis from his perspective as a trained lawyer, characterized the ADC as being in a state of legal and structural instability. He referenced a Supreme Court ruling that vacated a status quo order and redirected proceedings back to the Federal High Court, arguing that this development leaves the opposition party in a precarious position. According to Wike, the ADC remains entangled in significant legal hurdles that prevent it from gaining a strategic upper hand. He asserted that the opposition’s current problems are compounded by existing judgments that remain operative despite ongoing litigation.