The internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a new dimension as two former governors, Samuel Ortom of Benue State and Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, have publicly thrown their support behind the faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The development deepens the division within the opposition party ahead of its National Elective Convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State, as loyalists of Governor Seyi Makinde and other party leaders regroup to challenge the growing influence of the Wike-led camp.
In separate statements released on Sunday, Ortom and Fayose endorsed the PDP faction headed by Abdulrahman Mohammed, the National Vice Chairman (North Central), while blaming acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, for the escalating crisis.
Factional Battle Intensifies
Wike’s supporters have repeatedly accused the Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC) of bias, incompetence, and violation of the party’s zoning arrangements, especially in the South-South region.
The crisis worsened on Friday when the Federal High Court, Abuja, issued an interim injunction halting preparations for the PDP convention until the party complies with its constitution and the Electoral Act.
Justice James Omotosho ordered that all convention plans be suspended, further splitting the party’s leadership.
Following the ruling, the Damagum-led NWC announced the suspension of several top officials — including National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN) — for alleged anti-party activities.
In a dramatic twist, Anyanwu’s faction counter-suspended Damagum, National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, and Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeek Arapaja, citing corruption and mismanagement.
Ortom, Fayose Call for Reconciliation and Reform
Former Benue governor Samuel Ortom attributed the PDP’s turmoil to poor leadership and exclusionary politics, lamenting that his calls for internal reconciliation had been ignored.
“Democracy thrives when diverse opinions are respected,” Ortom said. “Unfortunately, a few individuals have hijacked the PDP and are running it without consultation. Abdulrahman Mohammed’s emergence offers a chance to rebuild trust and unity.”
In Ekiti, Ayo Fayose also backed the Mohammed-led group, describing the suspension of Damagum as a “necessary surgery to save the PDP from total collapse.”
“The Damagum-led NWC are undertakers — they came to bury the PDP,” Fayose said. “Perhaps Abdulrahman can be the doctor that revives it. Damagum’s arrogance and incompetence mirror Ayu’s downfall, and he will go the same way.”
Makinde’s Camp Plots Countermove
Sources within the Oyo State Government confirmed that Governor Seyi Makinde and his allies are meeting to strategize on how to overturn the court injunction and reclaim control of the party’s direction.
A top insider told FirstTVOnline that discussions are ongoing to appeal the judgment and proceed with the convention as planned.
“We have the numbers. The court ruling won’t stop us from moving forward,” the source said.
Opposition Figures Weigh In
Former presidential candidate Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim criticized the injunction stopping the PDP convention, calling it a “deliberate attempt to weaken the opposition and empower a one-party state.”
In contrast, former PDP senator Adenigba Fadahunsi, who recently defected to the APC, dismissed the party as “already dead.”
“We didn’t abandon the PDP; the PDP abandoned itself,” Fadahunsi said from his Osun residence. “Those still there are only waiting for the ship to sink.”
He praised President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, expressing optimism about their long-term benefits.
With less than two weeks to the PDP convention, the opposition party remains deeply fractured — with power blocs realigning, court battles intensifying, and reconciliation seeming further out of reach.
