The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party deepened on Tuesday as the Kabiru Turaki-led bloc of the party announced that it had issued expulsion certificates to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose; and nine others earlier expelled by the PDP national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The Turaki bloc is backed by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.
Turaki, who displayed the certificates during a briefing with newsmen at the Bauchi State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, said the action was taken to formally affirm the decisions of the convention—the party’s highest decision-making organ—and to prevent the affected individuals from violating Nigerian laws on dual party membership.
He said, “We have also considered the issue of members of our party who were expelled by the national convention in Ibadan. We have taken note of the fact that Nigerian law frowns on dual membership of political parties, and so we have sought to make it easy for them. Now that they are no longer members of our party… we have decided to issue them certificates of expulsion.”
Turaki displayed each certificate one after the other, beginning with that of Wike and Fayose, and noted that all 11 certificates had already been dispatched via courier to the affected individuals.
“This is the certificate of expulsion of His Excellency Nyesom Wike. An original copy has gone to him via courier.
“This is the certificate of His Excellency Ayodele Fayose; it has also been sent to him through courier.
“This is proof that he has been expelled from the PDP. Next is the certificate of distinguished Senator Samuel Anyanwu; it has been sent to him via courier.
“Next is the certificate of expulsion of Honourable Umaru Bature; that has also been sent to him via courier.
“Next is the certificate of Kamarudeen Ajibade, Senior Advocate of Nigeria; that has also been sent to him via courier.
“Next is that of Abdurahman Muhammad; it has also been sent to him via courier.
“The next one is for Senator Mao Ohuabunwa; it has been sent to him via courier services.
“The next one is for Mr Austin Nwachukwu; his certificate of expulsion has also been sent to him via courier.
“The next is that of Abraham Nnanna; it has been sent to him via courier.
“Second to the last is that of George Turna; this certificate has also been sent to him via courier services. I am sure some of them have already received theirs.
“Last but not least is that of Chief Dan Orbih; it has been sent to him through courier.”
He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Nigerian Police Force and other security agencies to take note that the 11 persons are no longer members of the PDP.
Addressing the controversy regarding Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke’s status within the party, Turaki noted that changing political platforms is within any citizen’s constitutional rights.
“If he (Adeleke) decides—either in person or via a representative at the centre of the primary—that he has withdrawn or refused to make himself available, then that will form part of the report we will receive.
“As far as we are concerned, even if what we saw on social media is true, as a Nigerian, Governor Adeleke, like any other person, has the constitutional right to freedom of association. He is free to move on; he is free to move out of any political party.”
On the party’s preparations for the 2026 Osun State governorship election, Turaki said the NWC was satisfied with developments so far.
“This afternoon (Tuesday), we reviewed, confirmed and approved the congresses that were held in Osun State for the purpose of selecting ad hoc delegates.
“We have also reviewed and confirmed the processes of the governorship primary election that is currently ongoing, and we are satisfied with the reports we are receiving from the field.
“Everything is being done in an orderly, transparent, fair and just manner, and that it is rancour-free. That is vintage PDP.”
On litigation involving the party, he added, “We have also reviewed some of the cases filed against us, and those we have also filed—particularly the one that relates to the unlawful and illegal closure of our offices, the Legacy House and the Wadata Plaza. The brief we received from our lawyers is that we are on sound ground, and that very soon, the law will take its course.”
Turaki said the new NWC was scrutinising handover notes from the previous leadership, saying,
“We have also begun looking at the handover notes that the outgoing executives gave to us. As I said, we are going to be very painstaking in our consideration of those notes, so that we leave no stone unturned in ensuring that there is no gap whatsoever in continuing with the good work the outgone National Working Committee has done. For us in the PDP, it is a long continuum, and so there is not going to be any gap.”
He added that former governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Okezie Ikpeazu, recently nominated as ambassador designates, have yet to officially notify the party of their nominations.
Meanwhile, Turaki used the occasion to launch a scathing critique of the Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government, accusing it of failing to protect Nigerians from widespread insecurity.
He said, “We believe the situation in this country is such that Nigerians are not safe on the streets. Nigerians are not safe in their places of work—be it in the office, on the farms and in the markets. Nigerians are also not safe in their homes. So, the situation where every citizen lives in perpetual fear, walks in perpetual fear, and does their business in perpetual fear is something that must change.”
The former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs also chided the Federal Government for allegedly failing to meet the basic requirement of an elected government.
“With the spate of kidnappings now taking place virtually all over this country, and with the spate of killings taking place all over this country, the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government has really not lived up to the expectations of Nigerians,” he declared.
“We therefore call on the Federal Government to brace up and, most especially, begin to consider a review of the security architecture in this country.
“We in the PDP believe that a situation where governors are called the chief security officers of their respective states, yet have no hand in controlling the operational activities of the military and security personnel who operate in their states, is something that needs to be overhauled.”
Credit: Punch