PDP Taraba Chapter Denies INEC Delisting Rumours, Affirms Caretaker Committee Legitimacy
The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Taraba State has firmly rejected circulating reports that the party faces deregistration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), calling the speculation false and politically motivated.
Dr. Falack Victor, Chairman of the PDP Caretaker Committee in Taraba, stated in a press release that the party remains “alive, strong and viable” and is fully prepared for upcoming elections. He accused the rumours of causing unnecessary confusion, particularly among rural members, some of whom allegedly defected to other parties based on the misinformation.
Victor’s assertion rests on a recent Federal High Court judgment. He referenced a January 30, 2026, ruling by Justice U.N. Agomoh in Ibadan, which nullified the PDP’s national convention held in November 2025. The court declared all decisions from that convention invalid and affirmed that the National Caretaker Committee, led by Alhaji Abdulraman Mohammed, is the sole lawful body authorised to manage the party’s affairs pending a valid convention. The judgment further directed INEC to recognise only this caretaker committee in its interactions with the PDP.
Victor stated that INEC has complied with the court directive. He warned that any group operating outside the recognised caretaker structure is acting illegally, specifically addressing the dissolved PDP State Working Committee in Taraba. He urged members of that committee to vacate the state secretariat, labelling any continued occupation as unlawful.
The caretaker chairman also appealed to party members who left due to the delisting rumours to return, emphasising the need for unity. “The deliberate fractionalisation of the PDP in Taraba State must stop,” he said, pledging that the caretaker committee would work to rebuild and reposition the party.
This internal dispute follows the National Caretaker Committee’s decision in December 2025 to dissolve State Working Committees in 14 states, including Taraba, leading to the formation of Victor’s current committee. The faction formerly led by the dissolved state committee had previously rejected the caretaker arrangement as unauthorised.
The standoff highlights the ongoing legal and administrative challenges within the PDP following the voided national convention. Victor reaffirmed the state chapter’s loyalty to the national caretaker leadership and thanked members for their support, positioning the caretaker committee as the legitimate entity to lead the PDP in Taraba through future electoral contests. The resolution of this leadership crisis is seen as critical for the party’s cohesion and performance in subsequent elections.
