By Oluwabukunmi
The internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a new turn as former governors Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Ayo Fayose (Ekiti) have declared support for the Nyesom Wike-led faction of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
Their endorsement of the Wike bloc comes amid renewed efforts by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and his loyalists to regroup and remobilise ahead of the party’s National Elective Convention slated for November 15–16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
In separate statements on Sunday, Ortom and Fayose threw their weight behind the faction led by National Vice Chairman (North Central), Abdulrahman Mohammed, accusing the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, of poor leadership and exclusionary politics that have worsened the PDP’s internal strife.
Court Injunction Heightens Tensions
The party’s troubles deepened on Friday when the Federal High Court in Abuja issued an interim injunction halting preparations for the upcoming convention.
Justice James Omotosho ordered that the PDP suspend all convention-related activities pending compliance with its constitution and the Electoral Act, a ruling that has further polarised the opposition party.
Suspension, Counter-Suspension Deepen Rift
On Saturday, the Damagum-led NWC announced the suspension of four top officials — National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN); Deputy Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha; and National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature — over alleged anti-party activities.
In swift retaliation, the Mohammed-led faction counter-suspended Damagum, National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba; Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja; and others, accusing them of financial misconduct and incompetence.
Ortom, Fayose Blast Damagum
Former Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, blamed the crisis on “a few individuals attempting to run the party without collective consultation.”
“Democracy thrives when people of diverse views come together for the common good,” Ortom said. “Unfortunately, inclusiveness and reconciliation have been ignored.”
Ortom, who is a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, described Mohammed’s emergence as acting National Chairman as “a fresh opportunity to rebuild trust and heal internal wounds.”
Similarly, Ayo Fayose backed Damagum’s suspension, describing it as “a necessary step to rescue the party from total collapse.”
“The PDP is in a hopeless situation. The Damagum-led NWC are undertakers — they have come to bury the party,” Fayose told journalists in Ado Ekiti. “But perhaps Abdulrahman Mohammed can be the doctor that revives it.”
Fayose accused Damagum of arrogance and manipulation, likening his leadership to that of former National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu.
“Damagum will go the way of Ayu,” Fayose added. “He manipulated the process to remain in office and caused confusion. We will support Abdulrahman to reposition the PDP and prepare for the convention.”
Makinde Camp Mobilises to Regain Control
Sources close to Governor Seyi Makinde told The PUNCH that the Oyo bloc and allied governors have begun strategic meetings to overturn the court injunction and reclaim control of the party’s structure ahead of the convention.
“We are not folding our hands,” a source said. “We have the majority, and discussions are ongoing on how to appeal the judgment and keep preparations for the convention alive.”
Reactions Trail Court Ruling
Former presidential candidate Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim criticised the court order stopping the convention, describing it as “a calculated move to weaken the opposition and weaponise the judiciary.”
“Both external pressures and internal sabotage are being deployed to stifle the PDP and entrench a one-party regime,” Olawepo-Hashim alleged, while urging democrats to resist what he termed “an attempt to destroy multiparty democracy in Nigeria.”
‘PDP Is Dead,’ Says Defector
In Osun State, former PDP Senator Adenigba Fadahunsi, who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), declared that the opposition party was “as good as dead.”
“We didn’t abandon the PDP; the PDP abandoned itself,” Fadahunsi said at his Ilase-Ijesa home. “The party is dead, and those still there should not sink with the ship.”
He, however, commended President Bola Tinubu’s ongoing economic reforms, expressing optimism that the policies would yield positive results in due time.
As the PDP crisis intensifies, party insiders say the coming days will be crucial in determining whether the opposition can reconcile its warring factions — or slide deeper into what some describe as its worst leadership turmoil since 1999.
