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PDP crisis deepens as Wike slams Turaki bloc, labels caretaker committee ‘fraud’

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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday dismissed the inauguration of a Peoples Democratic Party caretaker committee by supporters of Kabiru Turaki, describing the move as fraudulent and misleading.

Wike warned Nigerians against what he termed an attempt to create confusion within the party, insisting that there is only one authentic Peoples Democratic Party with its national secretariat at Wadata House, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja.

Speaking on the development, the former Rivers State governor maintained that the caretaker committee set up by Turaki and his loyalists was an effort to deceive the public, stressing that there was no leadership vacuum in the party.

He said, “You have refused to tell the public what is on ground, and you are coming out to say ‘we are setting up a caretaker committee’, how? And you are deceiving people that you want to sell form.

“I dare them, let me see an office you will name PDP national secretariat. If you say you are a party, go and put a sign ‘PDP national secretariat’ just as we are occupying Wadata, that is where everybody knows as PDP national secretariat.

“If you are saying that you want to sell form, to whom? You will submit it where? Is that not fraud? You went to court, we didn’t go to court, and the court gave judgment against you.

“You have not set aside that judgment and you are now coming to deceive people by setting up a caretaker committee and begin to sell forms. Is that not fraud? What is 419?”

Wike further stated that the recent PDP convention held at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, and witnessed by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, remained the only legitimate convention of the party, which produced the current National Working Committee.

Turaki bloc insists on interim leadership
Meanwhile, the crisis took a new turn on Monday as the Board of Trustees of the PDP, led by Adolphus Wabara, appointed a 13-member interim National Working Committee for the party.

Wabara said the decision was in line with the party’s constitution, arguing that a recent Supreme Court judgment, which upheld the nullification of the Ibadan convention, created a leadership vacuum within the PDP.

The interim committee is headed by Turaki, a former Minister of Special Duties.

The decision followed a National Executive Committee meeting convened by the Turaki-led bloc at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.

Notable stakeholders present at the meeting included the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde; former Niger State governor, Babangida Aliyu; ex-Minister of Information, Jerry Gana; Wabara; Turaki; and former Minister of Women Affairs, Zainab Maina, among others.

The group also declared that the Abuja convention which produced the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Working Committee of the PDP was null and void.

The latest development signals a deepening leadership crisis within the main opposition party, raising concerns over its internal cohesion ahead of future political contests.

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Oyo 2027: Alli’s Campaign Accuses Makinde, Adekanmbi of Plot to Attack APC Supporters, Vandalise Billboards

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The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation has raised concerns over an alleged plot to attack members of the All Progressives Congress and supporters of the party’s governorship candidate in Oyo State, while accusing suspected agents of the state government of vandalising campaign billboards.

The organisation called on security agencies to intervene, warning that the alleged development could heighten political tension in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a statement, the campaign organisation alleged that hoodlums linked to the Allied Peoples Movement governorship candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, and Governor Seyi Makinde were planning fresh attacks on members of the Park Management System and other APC supporters.

It described the alleged plot as an attempt to intimidate opposition members and weaken the party’s support base across the state.

The organisation recalled previous attacks on APC members, including an incident in Ibadan in October in which an APC member reportedly lost his life. It added that several other party supporters had sustained injuries in separate incidents over the past two months.

According to the statement, the latest alleged threat was directed particularly at members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers supporting the APC, including a prominent member popularly known as Oyere and his followers.

SSACO claimed that suspected attackers monitored the APC’s manifesto unveiling at Theophilus Ogunlesi Hall last Tuesday, where the names of some NURTW members who had recently joined the party were allegedly compiled.

The organisation further linked the alleged development to the growing attendance at Oyere’s weekly meeting, which reportedly attracted hundreds of transport workers.

It also claimed that a meeting allegedly convened by a member of the governor’s inner circle around 10pm on Friday discussed plans to disrupt the gatherings of NURTW members supporting the APC.

The campaign organisation did not, however, provide independent evidence to substantiate the alleged meeting or the reported plan of attack.

On the destruction of campaign materials, SSACO accused suspected agents of the state government of vandalising Senator Alli’s billboards at different locations across the state.

It further alleged that billboard proprietors who rented advertising spaces to the APC candidate were being pressured, warning that such actions could undermine their businesses and restrict the party’s ability to campaign freely.

The organisation described the alleged destruction of the billboards as a setback for democratic participation and urged the relevant authorities to investigate the incidents.

“We call on the Commissioner of Police and other security chiefs to nip this alleged plan in the bud. Oyo State does not deserve political violence,” the statement said.

It also urged residents to hold political actors accountable for the conduct of their supporters, warning that any escalation of political violence could endanger lives and property.

Despite the alleged threats, the campaign organisation maintained that the APC would continue its political activities ahead of the 2027 elections.

It called on security agencies to take preventive measures to protect residents, political supporters and campaign facilities, stressing the need for a peaceful political atmosphere in the state.

 

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₦873bn LG allocations, 674,000 out-of-school children, empty hospitals: Alli’s camp challenges Makinde, Adekanmbi

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The Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) has challenged Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) governorship candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, to address questions surrounding local government administration, healthcare and education in the state rather than accuse Senator Sharafadeen Alli of copying government policies in his Oyo AHEAD manifesto.

The organisation described the allegation that Alli copied policies of the Makinde administration as an attempt to divert attention from what it called pressing governance challenges confronting residents of the state.

In a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, SSACO said the manifesto was informed by Alli’s experience in public service and his understanding of the challenges facing the state.

It noted that the senator had served as a local government chairman, Secretary to the State Government and Chief of Staff before his election to the Senate.

“Alli is not a newcomer learning governance from press releases. He was a Council Chairman, Secretary to the State Government, Chief of Staff and is now a serving Senator. That experience from the ward to the Senate is what positions him as a candidate for Oyo State. You cannot copy what you have lived,” the statement said.

The campaign organisation argued that the debate over the manifesto should focus on its proposals and the issues they seek to address, particularly what it described as the paralysis of local governments, inadequate healthcare personnel, poorly equipped public hospitals and the growing number of out-of-school children.

On local government administration, SSACO claimed that the 33 local government areas in Oyo State had received approximately ₦873bn in Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations since 2019.

It, however, alleged that the councils had failed to make their budgets publicly accessible online, raising questions about transparency and accountability at the grassroots.

The organisation said Alli had proposed issuing an executive order on his first day in office to guarantee local government autonomy, ensure that councils receive their allocations on a fixed date and facilitate the monthly remittance of the 10 per cent of state revenue due to them.

According to SSACO, the proposal is aimed at restoring effective grassroots administration and ensuring that public resources translate into development at the community level.

On healthcare, the campaign organisation raised concerns over the state of public hospitals, claiming that six local government areas had no general hospital, while six general hospitals had no doctor as of October 2025.

It further alleged that 10 other hospitals had only one doctor each, while primary healthcare centres operated with an average of three workers, against a national benchmark of 24.

The organisation said the figures raised questions about access to medical services, particularly for residents in rural communities who depend largely on public health facilities.

As part of its proposed intervention, Alli’s Oyo AHEAD manifesto outlines an Oyo Care programme that promises free healthcare for infants, pregnant women and residents aged 70 and above.

Other proposals include continuous recruitment of health workers, provision of modern medical equipment, regular supply of essential medicines, solar power for rural maternity centres and public accountability dashboards in every ward.

SSACO maintained that the proposals were designed to address practical gaps in healthcare delivery rather than merely repeat existing government programmes.

In education, the organisation cited figures it attributed to the state government’s school census, claiming that approximately 674,000 children between the ages of three and 17 were out of school in Oyo State, reportedly the highest figure in the South-West.

It also claimed that public primary school classrooms accommodated about 100 pupils on average, while seven out of every 10 children aged between seven and 14 could not perform basic arithmetic.

To address the situation, the Oyo AHEAD manifesto proposes reducing classroom populations to 30 pupils, rehabilitating public schools across the 33 local government areas and introducing scholarships for academically gifted children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

It also proposes the enactment of an Apprenticeship Law and the restoration of School Governing Boards to give parents and host communities a greater role in the administration of public schools.

Beyond education and healthcare, the manifesto outlines an agricultural transformation programme, a ₦10bn Youth Fund, affordable housing for low- and middle-income earners and a proposed 20-year warranty on newly constructed roads.

The campaign organisation also challenged the state government to substantiate claims that Oyo was the most liveable state in the country by making public the report, its publisher and the methodology used in arriving at the ranking.

It further faulted the argument that Alli’s proposal for one primary healthcare centre per ward amounted to copying the Makinde administration’s policies, insisting that the availability of facilities must be matched by adequate manpower, equipment and essential medicines.

“They claim Oyo is the most liveable state but cannot produce the report, the publisher or the methodology. They claim Alli copied one-PHC-per-ward, yet our PHCs have three workers instead of 24. That is not implementation. That is abandonment,” the statement said.

The organisation also described Adekanmbi’s political position as a continuation of the present administration’s approach to governance, arguing that the Oyo AHEAD manifesto offered a different set of proposals for addressing the state’s development challenges.

“Oyo AHEAD is a correction. It is a covenant. And we will continue to highlight the issues that matter to the well-being of the people of Oyo State,” the statement added.

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Oyo APC Warns Boye Nation: Back All Our Candidates or Quit

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has warned promoters of a political group, Boye Nation, against what it described as an attempt to create confusion in the state’s political landscape by campaigning for candidates of different political parties.

The party said those interested in supporting its candidates must be prepared to work for all APC flag bearers or stay away from its political activities.

The warning followed the circulation of a video on social media showing several vehicles branded with campaign materials bearing the images of President Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate, and the governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo State.

The vehicles also reportedly displayed the symbols of Boye Nation alongside the logos of the APC and APM, raising questions about the political allegiance of the group and its promoters.

In a statement issued on Thursday in Ibadan, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, said the APC remained willing to reconcile with aggrieved members and accommodate those prepared to return to its fold.

He, however, cautioned that the party’s disposition towards reconciliation should not be mistaken for weakness.

Sadare said the party had received reports that some individuals behind Boye Nation’s activities in Ibadan were allegedly making moves capable of creating confusion within the political space.

“We have got the reports from different sources that some individuals, who are behind the Boye Nation activities in Ibadan, are perfecting plans to create confusion in the polity. Some of these people celebrate their confusion on social media, but we can only wish them the best of luck,” he said.

The party’s spokesman further alleged that some individuals who recently left the APC were attempting to campaign for President Tinubu while belonging to another political party.

While expressing sympathy for the individuals, Sadare urged them to reconsider their political decision and return to the APC, which he described as their political home.

He also criticised the branding of campaign vehicles and other materials with the identities of different political parties, describing the development as unacceptable.

“While we sympathise with the man in question as he and his group must have realised the fatal error in their recent political move, we urge them to return home and play the role expected of them as progressive family members,” the statement said.

The party maintained that support for Tinubu must translate into support for other APC candidates seeking elective positions in the state.

Sadare said anyone genuinely interested in the success of the President must also be committed to the party’s governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates.

“If you are supporting our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, you must be intentional by working for the governorship, Senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates of the APC at the same time, as doing otherwise would be unacceptable to us,” the statement added.

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