As the crisis rocking the main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) is getting worse day by day and this is already causing anxiety and apprehension among its leaders and supporters across the length and breadth of the country but most especially in Oyo State where the party is the ruling party, a group within the party in Oyo state, Concerned Youths Movement (CYM) has counseled aspirants and political leaders to seek another political platform.
The preparation towards the 2027 general election is drawing near, there is an unease tension in the camp of the PDP in the Pace Setter State as a group within it is already calling members’ attention to the need to look for an alternative platform.
Last Monday in Abuja, the ugly crisis of confidence in the party came to the open when two party leaders, the National Chairman, Umar Iliya Damagum and the party’s Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN) could not agree on the legal representation of the party in a suit brought to the court by three aggrieved members to stop the planned National Convention slated for Ibadan in November.
The suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2120/2025 was brought before Justice James Omotosho by Hon. Austin Nwachukwu, (Imo PDP Chair); Hon. Amah Abraham Nnaana , (Abia PDP Chair) and Turnah Alabh George, (PDP Secretary South South).
While Damagum who was present in court signed a letter mandating Chief Chris Uche (SAN) to lead the party’s Legal team, the Party’s Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN) was also in court to represent the party claiming that according to the party’s constitution he is empowered to appoint the legal team.
The situation caused a mild drama as the party could not agree on its legal team for the court to proceed.
On Tuesday, one of the PDP Governors , the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah left PDP alongside his immediate predecessor, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as well as the state and federal lawmakers, among others.
Mbah before his dedication was the Secretary of the PDP planned convention committee but was replaced by Senator Ben Obi after his defection.
On Wednesday, another PDP Governor, Douye Diri of Bayelsa state announced his resignation from the PDP with all 19 members of the State House of Assembly alongside the Speaker, Mr Abraham Ingobere.
All members of the state executive council have also resigned membership of the party.
Diri made this known at the State Executive Council Meeting at the Government House in Yenagoa on Wednesday.
Diri before his resignation was the Chairman of the party’s Convention zoning committee
Also on Thursday, former governor of Ekiti state and Chieftain of the PDP, Ayo Fayose accused some PDP governors of contributing to the party’s decline due to their desire to control its structure.
“They are largely killing the party because they want to control it. This is what happened in 2023. Let me tell you, there are three more governors that will leave soon. There will be five remaining. The five remaining, one of them will struggle to catch the ticket, and they all know that the ticket is an ordinary tissue paper.
Reviewing the crisis situation in the party, a group within the Oyo State chapter of the PDP which tagged itself as the Concerned Youth Movement (CYM) has cautioned leaders and members of the party in Oyo State to watch their back and look for alternative platform before the 2027 general election.
In a release made available to Journalists on Friday, the group, Concerned Youth Movement said it urges the PDP stalwarts to start looking at another party as they moved towards 2027.
The Group through its Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Laide Ajao said in the release that , it will suggest members and leaders of the PDP in Oyo State to look at the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a possible platform to use in 2027 in case the PDP deteriorates further.
According to the release ,”We as a strong group within the Oyo PDP, the Concerned Youth Movement and we hereby wake up our members and leaders as we are approaching the next election that there is the need to sleep with one of our eyes open and have alternative plan.
“The crisis in our party is becoming unpredictable. Governors are leaving in drove. We members of the party in Oyo State should wake up and get set to move to another party in case the unexpected happens before the 2027 election.
“To us in this group, ADC seems the next destination as we cannot join the APC in Oyo State which is currently enmeshed in leadership struggle”
