By Frank Ulom
Julius Udayi, governorship candidate of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State, has claimed that a recent Court of Appeal ruling on the party’s governorship candidate in Osun State has effectively settled the leadership dispute within the PDP in Cross River.
Udayi made the claim on Friday, August 14, 2026, during a press conference at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Calabar.
He said the briefing followed his team’s statewide consultations and tour of all 18 local government areas of Cross River State, during which he said efforts were made to correct what he described as a “wrong narrative” surrounding those presenting themselves as PDP candidates in the state.
According to Udayi, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Thursday, August 13, upheld the nomination of Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola as the authentic PDP governorship candidate for the Osun State election.
He said the appellate court held that Adedamola was validly nominated and presented by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the PDP and consequently directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to include the PDP logo on the ballot for the Osun governorship election scheduled for Saturday, August 15.
Udayi argued that the ruling had implications for the leadership and candidacy dispute within the PDP in Cross River State.
He maintained that he was nominated and presented as the “bonafide governorship candidate” of the PDP in Cross River under the leadership of Tanimu Turaki, SAN, alongside other members of his team.
“We hereby inform that the Court of Appeal on Thursday, the 13th day of August, 2026, while sitting in Abuja, upheld as valid the nomination of Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola as the authentic Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Osun State elections,” Udayi said.
He further claimed that the ruling had laid to rest what he described as a “state-engineered and sponsored” leadership conflict within the Cross River PDP.
Udayi also criticised the activities of members of a rival faction of the PDP led by Senator Sandy Onoh, accusing them of continuing to parade themselves as candidates of the party in Cross River State.
He linked the faction to Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, alleging that the activities of the group could undermine the peace and order in the state.
Udayi described the rival politicians as “stooges” of Wike and accused them of disrupting what he called the prevailing peace and tranquillity in Cross River.
He said the activities of the rival faction should be scrutinised by security agencies because, according to him, parallel political activities could create conditions capable of resulting in violence.
“We wish to use this medium to call on all the Security Agents in the state, particularly the Chief Security Officer of the State, to search-light on this reoccurring and continuing parallel political activities,” he said.
He alleged that the continued activities of the rival group constituted an indicator of a possible breach of peace if not proactively addressed.
The PDP governorship candidate urged security agencies in Cross River State to monitor political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly those involving rival groups claiming to represent the PDP.
Udayi said the appeal was not intended to create confrontation but to prevent activities that could escalate into political violence.
He also called on Cross Riverians to support what he described as the legitimate leadership of the PDP under the Turaki-led structure.
He warned individuals and groups opposed to the Turaki leadership against what he described as allowing themselves to be used for political experimentation in Cross River State.
Udayi further accused members of the rival faction of pursuing personal interests, alleging that their activities were not in the interest of the state.
The press conference comes amid continuing divisions within the PDP nationally and in several states over party leadership, candidate nominations and the recognition of competing factions.
Udayi concluded by soliciting the support and cooperation of Cross Riverians as his faction seeks to strengthen its position within the state’s opposition party.
He called for unity under what he described as the Tanimu Turaki-led PDP structure in the state.
Note: Udayi’s allegations against Nyesom Wike, Senator Sandy Onoh and their associates were made during the press conference and are presented as allegations. The affected parties were not represented in the statement provided for this report and their responses were not included.
