A member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Tadjudeen Yusuf, has accused some party leaders of deepening the party’s leadership crisis following the recent National Convention held in Ibadan.
Yusuf told journalists in Abuja that those who orchestrated the Ibadan convention ignored advice to halt the event and instead establish a caretaker committee inclusive of representatives from the party’s contending factions.
He specifically faulted Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, alleging that their insistence on proceeding with the convention, despite various court orders against it, was driven by personal ego and ambition to advance political careers ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to Yusuf, the decision to hold the convention was ill-timed given disputed congresses in the South-East and South-South geopolitical zones, as well as internal memos cautioning against violating court directives.
He dismissed the Ibadan convention as “a social event with no legal standing” and said it failed to meet any constitutional or procedural requirements of the party.
“There was no convention in Ibadan. It was a gathering of people to socialise and massage ego. A convention is a product of due process, including zoning, congresses, INEC presence, and proper notice. None of these existed,” he said.
Yusuf described the violence that erupted last Tuesday at the Wadata House, PDP’s National Secretariat in Abuja, as shameful, noting that it underscored how the Ibadan convention has worsened the party’s internal crisis.
He also criticized the purported expulsion of former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and others, calling it “a fruitless exercise” with no legal effect since it did not follow disciplinary procedures outlined in the party constitution.
Urging the rival factions to reconcile, Yusuf warned that if the crisis is not resolved by December 7, 2025, the PDP could be effectively incapacitated and unable to participate in the 2027 general elections.
