A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dickson Iroegbu, has said the opposition party must not become an extension of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Iroegbu made the remark on Monday while speaking during an interview on the programme Prime Time on Channels Television, where he reacted to the recent ruling by the Court of Appeal of Nigeria concerning the PDP national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in November 2025.
The appellate court in Abuja dismissed an appeal filed by a faction of the party led by Kabiru Turaki.
The court also upheld an earlier ruling by the Federal High Court of Nigeria which restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the outcome of the PDP’s 2025 national convention.
Reacting to the development, Iroegbu criticised PDP members who openly support the APC-led federal government, insisting that such individuals should formally leave the party if they prefer to align with the ruling party.
“PDP will not become an appendage of the APC. The leader of a group in the PDP has affirmed to be supporting the APC government. They should just go ahead and move into the APC,” he said.
According to him, political actors cannot simultaneously claim loyalty to the opposition party while backing the ruling government.
“It’s not a problem if you want to support whoever you want to support, but you can’t be here and there,” he added.
Iroegbu also questioned the legitimacy of the PDP caretaker committee, arguing that the group responsible for creating the committee had already been suspended within the party.
He explained that the Appeal Court judgment affirmed the suspension of the faction that established the caretaker structure.
“Today, the Appeal Court affirmed the suspension of the group that came up with the Caretaker Committee,” he said.
According to him, the committee lacks legitimacy because it was formed by individuals who were already under suspension at the time.
“So having now received the affirmation that their suspension stands, how can anybody say that you are carrying on with your so-called Caretaker Committee?” he asked.
The latest remarks highlight the deepening internal crisis within the PDP as factions continue to dispute leadership structures and legal interpretations of court rulings affecting the party.
