….as Staff defy Court ruling, affirm Turaki as Chairman

By Olakunle Oke

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has declared himself a born-again politician dedicated to rebuilding the PDP and shielding it from internal saboteurs.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ gathering in Ibadan, Makinde admitted to previously being yoked with elements he now describes as political vagabonds during the 2023 election cycle.

He asserted that these infiltrators, who he claims operated unchecked for a decade, were finally expelled in November 2025, leaving the party free to pursue its goal of reclaiming national power.

As a symbolic gesture of the party’s new direction, Governor Makinde announced the renaming of the Oyo State PDP Secretariat after the late Alhaji Omokunmi Mustafa, the chairman credited with the party’s 2019 victory.

In a move to strengthen institutional autonomy, the Governor handed over the property’s title deeds to the National Chairman for transmission to the Board of Trustees (BoT).

He reaffirmed his faith in the judiciary to resolve lingering leadership disputes in the party’s favor, urging members to remain united as the PDP transitions from a period of vagabondry to one of renewed discipline.

Meanwhile, the Management and staff of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Peoples Democratic Institute (PDI) formally rejected the recent Federal High Court judgment in Ibadan, declaring their total allegiance to the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN)-led National Working Committee (NWC).

In a statement released yesterday, the workers who serve as the administrative custodians of the party’s National Secretariat dismissed any alternative leadership, insisting that the Turaki-led NWC was the legitimate product of the National Convention held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, 2025.

The staff argued that the convention was legally convened by the National Executive Committee (NEC) and monitored by INEC in full compliance with Section 84 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

Citing established Supreme Court precedents on party supremacy, the workers maintained that internal leadership matters and the conduct of conventions are non-justiciable and remain beyond the interference of the judiciary.

They further clarified that the NEC’s decision to hold the convention is binding on all party organs, expressing confidence that the appellate court will eventually set aside the Ibadan ruling in favor of institutional stability.