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*S’West PDP hails Makinde, congratulates newly elected officers
*Stakeholders seek immediate reconciliation, say party shouldn’t bleed to death
*Amadi: this convention has legalisation
*Why Plateau, Adamawa governors differed over expulsion of Wike, others
*Olawepo-Hashim: fate of Nigeria’s democracy linked to PDP’s survival
Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti
The new elected National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Kabiru Turaki, has assured members of the party and Nigerians, generally, of a new era of internal democracy in the once dominant, but currently distressed opposition party.
Turaki said there would be no more impunity and suppression of will in the party.
He made the assertions yesterday while delivering his acceptance speech after being declared the new national chairman of PDP at the 2025 elective national convention of the party in Ibadan.
Turaki scored a total of 1,516 votes to defeat his closest rival, Garuba Lado, who scored 41 votes, at the convention.
The convention was not monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and it is the subject of litigation in courts of law.
However, the South-west chapter of PDP described the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, as the “Biblical Moses”, saying he rescued the party from aggressors determined to strangle it.
Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Dr. Sam Amadi, stated that the PDP convention remained valid and legally recognised, despite earlier conflicting court rulings.
Meanwhile, fresh details emerged on why Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, and his Adamawa State counterpart, Ahmadu Fintiri, did not support the expulsion of Nyesom Wike, Samuel Anyanwu, Ayo Fayose and other party leaders at the Ibadan convention. The governor alluded to lack of consultation.
Nonetheless, amid the deepening tensions in PDP, former presidential candidate and founding member of the party, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, urged immediate reconciliation and a return to the party’s original principles, warning that Nigeria’s democracy is at stake.
Turaki, in his address, assured party members that the confidence reposed in the new elected party executives would not be taken for granted.
He stated, “I want to assure you that the confidence reposed in the executives will not be taken for granted.
“There will be no more impunity and suppression of the will of Nigerian people and we shall open our ears wide to listen to you to determine what you want and what you want is what we shall give you.”
Turaki said PDP was currently at a crossroads, but pledged that the new executive was equal to the task.
He said the new executives would start visiting some of the aggrieved party members to appeal to those with genuine grievances to return to the party in order to “save Nigeria’s democracy from imminent collapse”.
South-west PDP Hails Makinde, Greets New Party Officers
The South-west chapter of PDP, in a press statement by the party’s zonal publicity secretary, Chief Sanya Atofarati, said the successful conduct of the convention had restored the confidence of Nigerians, who had long yearned for genuine democratic leadership.
Atofarati said the yearnings of Nigerians contrasted with what he described as the manipulation through divide-and-rule tactics by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The statement said, “Governor Seyi Makinde has once again demonstrated exemplary leadership and must be commended for saving the party from total collapse.
“He can best be described as the Biblical Moses of the PDP, whose collaborative efforts with other well-meaning leaders have given the party a new lease of life.
“The Tinubu administration, having been rejected by Nigerians, resorted to masterminding the prolonged crisis that has beset our party.
“However, with the election of these eminent leaders into the National Executive Committee, the PDP can now focus without unnecessary distractions and begin galvanising support ahead of the 2027 general elections.”
The South-west PDP said, “The APC’s political decline will begin with the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections in 2026.
“While we congratulate all newly elected members of the National Executive Committee, we have unwavering confidence in their capacity to provide credible leadership that will entrench discipline and commitment to the ideals of the party.”
The party also commended PDP governors for standing firmly with the party, and lauded the government and the people of Oyo State for the peaceful conduct of the convention.
Olawepo-Hashim: Fate of Nigeria’s Democracy Linked to PDP’s Survival
Olawepo-Hashim, in a statement on Sunday, said PDP’s survival was linked to the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria. He sought
reconciliation, saying the party should not be allowed to bleed to death.
He reminded Nigerians of the party’s historic origins 27 years ago, describing the founding of PDP as one of the most remarkable demonstrations of political maturity in the country’s history.
The former presidential hopeful stated that the party’s formation brought together over 13 political associations, each robust enough to stand independently, which were united through dialogue, broad consultation, and a deep spirit of inclusion.
According to him, the founding leaders deliberately created a platform capable of preventing military adventurism, safeguarding the unity and indivisibility of the Nigerian state, and promoting genuine federalism.
He emphasised that this inclusive and consultative spirit was the reason PDP secured almost two-thirds of elected positions during the December 1998 local government election, an early success that helped stabilise Nigeria’s democratic order.
Olawepo-Hashim stressed that the current path of fragmentation, court induced confusion, and exclusionary politics was a dangerous departure from the party’s foundational ideals.
“Inclusion, not exclusion, is the tradition of the PDP,” he warned, adding, “We must strive to bring all sides back to the table to save the PDP and save Nigeria’s democracy.”
He insisted that the party’s revival depended on genuine unity and purposeful reconciliation, urging leaders to commit to a single watchword: “We must not leave anyone behind.”
Olawepo-Hashim added a scriptural reminder, stating that the Bible teaches that “to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). He stressed that this was not the season to expel members, it was the season to reconcile and bring new members, a season to save PDP in order to save Nigeria’s democracy.
‘PDP Convention Legitimate’
Dr Sam Amadi, during an interview with Arise News, said the most recent court order issued before the PDP national convention permitted the event to hold, rendering previous contradictory orders ineffective.
He said the controversy surrounding the party’s leadership crisis was fuelled by INEC’s failure to act as a regulatory authority, as well as courts issuing “contradictory and unnecessary” ex parte orders.
Amadi stated that the convention was backed by law, and stated that the latest decision from the court supported its conduct.
He stated, “If I recall, the latest decision that came in on Friday was in favour of the convention. So you can’t say it’s not legal.
“Unfortunately, we have courts authorising and counter-authorising actions, and that is the real problem.”
Amadi stated that the situation highlighted a growing problem in Nigeria where political actors rushed to secure favourable injunctions instead of allowing established procedures to play out.
He criticised INEC for allegedly abandoning its quasi-judicial responsibilities by constantly deferring to the courts.
Amadi explained that political parties were expected to file leadership documents with INEC, which should then verify and make determinations before judicial review could become necessary.
He maintained that facts available pointed to the legitimacy of the current PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), saying it has been functional for over three years and cannot be replaced arbitrarily.
On claims that the Supreme Court forbade judicial intervention in party matters, Amadi clarified that the ruling only barred courts from selecting party leaders, not from reviewing whether parties obeyed their internal rules.
Responding to recent expulsions of some high-profile members, including Nyesom Wike and Ayodele Fayose, Amadi stressed the need for due process, but questioned the loyalty of party figures allegedly working with rival political platforms.
Meanwhile, multiple sources confirmed that no consultation was held with PDP governors, and no meeting of the Governors’ Forum took place to deliberate on or approve the far-reaching decision on the expulsion of the party bigwigs.
Instead, the motion was said to have been smuggled into the proceedings without the knowledge or consent of key organs of the party.
A source said, “There were already ongoing consultations for an arbitration process on the whole crisis. You can also see that Fintiri, who chaired the convention organising committee, has also denied the expulsion—giving credence to the fact that it was more of a personal agenda of some stakeholders.”
Mutfwang, in distancing himself from the decision, stressed that the move “does not reflect my position”.
He insisted that such grave disciplinary actions could not stand without proper consultation, legal backing, and the involvement of constitutionally recognised organs of the party.
Sources said the Plateau governor was particularly disturbed by the timing and irregular procedure adopted by the Makinde-aligned group, warning that the action risked undermining the fragile peace efforts currently underway within the PDP.
“At a time when the party is grappling with significant internal challenges, what is required is unity, dialogue and collective responsibility—not actions that deepen division,” Mutfwang reportedly told close associates.
He further said the purported expulsion did not mirror his personal relationships with either the Makinde group or the Wike faction, stressing that he remains committed to rebuilding and repositioning PDP through lawful, inclusive, and strategic engagement.
Governor Fintri, on his part, made it clear that he had no hand in the move, describing it as unhealthy and capable of worsening the party’s already fragile internal cohesion.
He stated, “I wish to categorically state that I dissociate myself from the position of expelling the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Governor Wike, from the PDP.
“I believe this decision is not in the best interest of the party, and I will not be part of anything that could further plunge the PDP into unending crisis.”
