The internal leadership struggle within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continued to unfold on Tuesday as the faction believed to support the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, inaugurated its own executive team in Ondo State.
The new state executive was elected during a congress held in Akure, the state capital. At the event, Olaniyi Ogungbuji was chosen as chairman of the faction, while Yagba Timilehin secured the position of state secretary. The congress was closely monitored by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), personnel from the Department of State Security Services, the police, and other relevant stakeholders.
Addressing participants, the Chairman of the Congress Committee for Ondo 2026, Adebiyi Abiodun-Philips, called for unity among party members. “The PDP is fully back on its feet. If you look at what is happening, even nationally, like what our leaders said and all the other leaders of the party, both in the South-West and the nation as a whole, we want peace to reign, we want reconciliation.
“We want it to be on record that as of today, we don’t have any faction again in PDP. Any faction in PDP is now a thing of the past. Yes, we had the crisis, we had the misunderstanding, but it has been settled. So, we are now one, we work together as one family.
“The door is open for those who are aggrieved, those who believe they want to come back to the party. Some of our members who have gone to ADC or APC, if they want to come back, the door is open for everybody. And for those of us who are very much at home, then we should continue with the good job.”
In his acceptance speech, the newly elected chairman, Olaniyi Ogungbuji, said the primary task of the new executives would be to reposition the party for the 2027 general elections. He urged members to set aside internal disagreements and focus on building party unity and mobilizing membership.
“We are here now to change everything, to redirect the future of PDP and for us to be able to get results in our future elections. So, I can assure you and Ondo State that PDP has today taken off with a new focus to ensure and create meaning in the political atmosphere of this state and Nigeria at large.
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“We are members of the same family, and don’t forget that at the national level, reconciliation is already going on. So, at the state level too, we constitute ourselves and work together to move the party ahead. The victory is for us all,” Ogungbuji emphasized.
Other officials elected at the congress include Akinwamide Adedeji as deputy chairman, Alake Olumuyiwa as treasurer, Barrister Clement Adefemi as legal adviser, Akintemi Akinduyite as financial secretary, Sadiq Fatai as publicity secretary, along with 32 additional executive members.
However, the Dupe Aisida-led state executive of the PDP has rejected the factional congress, dismissing it as meaningless. State Publicity Secretary Wande Ajayi told our correspondent, “It’s a charade and has no effect. They are a bunch of confused people who don’t understand the tenets of the PDP and the constitution of our great party.
“You can’t build something on nothing. Who are the delegates who attended the so-called state congress? Can you have a state congress without ward and LG congresses? We have concluded all these processes here in Ondo State.”