- Wike’s aide described the PDP Ibadan meeting as a social party rather than a real convention.
- Olayinka said the PDP expulsion carried no legitimacy or authority within the party structure.
- The PDP crisis intensified as factions clashed over convention rulings and disciplinary actions.
- Party leaders insisted the expulsions were meant to restore unity before the 2027 elections.
The internal battle dividing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took another dramatic turn on Saturday when Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications to Nyesom Wike, fired back at PDP leaders who announced the expulsion of the FCT Minister and several of his allies.
Speaking to The Guardian, Olayinka mocked the group that met in Ibadan, saying the gathering looked more like an early December celebration than a political meeting. According to him, nothing said at the event should be taken seriously. “When people begin their dirty December in November, whatever they say shouldn’t concern anyone,” he remarked.
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He accused the organisers of turning the political space into a place for amusement rather than serious decision-making. Olayinka added that those behind the announcement were simply enjoying themselves in Ibadan and saying whatever they liked under the influence of excitement. He insisted that no credible authority within the PDP could legitimately sanction Wike or his loyalists.
The comments came as tensions between the Wike faction and the camp aligned with acting National Chairman Umar Damagum continue to escalate. The dispute has been fueled by disagreements over the party’s convention, recent suspensions, and the Board of Trustees’ recommendations.
Despite the verbal jabs, the party announced that the expulsions, including those of Senator Samuel Anyanwu, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), former Governor Ayo Fayose, Austin Nwachukwu and others were part of an effort to strengthen discipline ahead of the 2027 elections. According to a brief statement, the decision received majority support from delegates.
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Meanwhile, questions have been raised over the legitimacy of the Ibadan convention itself. INEC officials were absent from the venue after separate court orders attempted to halt the convention entirely, adding another layer of controversy to an already complicated internal struggle.
Political observers say the latest round of public mockery and counter-decisions has only deepened the fractures within the opposition party, further complicating its efforts to rebuild ahead of upcoming electoral cycles.
