Hundreds of delegates from across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory have converged on the Velodrome of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium for the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party backed by Minister Nyesom Wike.

Delegates were still arriving at the venue as of 7 p.m. on Sunday for the convention, which is scheduled to continue into Monday.

Organisers said a total of 2,632 delegates are expected to take part in the exercise.

The convention is aimed at electing members of the party’s National Working Committee, which will replace the National Caretaker Working Committee currently overseeing party affairs.

The faction associated with Wike and led by Abdulrahman Mohammed has maintained that the convention will go ahead as planned, insisting on proceeding with its leadership selection process.

However, the faction led by Tanimu Turaki has rejected the planned convention. The group, which was removed by a Court of Appeal ruling earlier in the month, has opposed the legitimacy of the gathering.

The development highlights ongoing internal divisions within the party as members push forward with parallel positions over its leadership structure and direction.