The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has criticised the conduct of the weekend national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party held in Ibadan, describing the exercise as a “carnival of shame, lawlessness and impunity.”
Despite interim court orders reportedly directing the suspension of the exercise, the faction loyal to Governor Seyi Makinde proceeded with the convention, which brought in delegates said to have come from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to elect new national officers of the party.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, and made available to journalists in Ibadan, Oyo APC accused Makinde of subjecting residents of the state capital to needless hardship by allegedly compelling commercial motorists to withdraw their services and move to the venue to create an impression of a massive turnout.
“PDP has been synonymous with impunity and this played out again when a group within the party called the bluff of the judiciary to stage an illegal procession in Ibadan which they tagged a national convention,” the party said.
It added that Makinde’s action “has justified suspicions that he is bent on ruining the umbrella party completely through his latest show of naivety and desperation for national leadership, even when he has failed woefully on the home front.”
Oyo APC further accused the governor of ignoring citizens protesting the demolition of their properties along the proposed Ibadan Circular Road corridor, alleging that the administration worsened residents’ plight by commandeering taxis, minibuses, motorcycles and tricycles to fill the stadium.
The opposition party also claimed that a substantial portion of the September allocations to the 33 local government councils was diverted to fund the convention because most PDP governors allegedly declined to contribute financially to the event.
“It is important for Governor Makinde to note that every kobo of public funds spent on the failed PDP project will be accounted for sooner than later,” the statement added.
Describing the convention as a “kangaroo exercise,” the APC argued that it signalled “the beginning of the burial of the PDP,” saying Makinde and his allies had “chosen cremation over interment for their party upon its inevitable death.”
The party urged the feuding PDP factions to embrace peace if they hoped to remain politically relevant in Nigeria, insisting that the party had already lost out ahead of the 2027 general elections.
