Leaders and stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have called for urgent reconciliation within the party following the recent judgment by the Court of Appeal of Nigeria, warning that continued division could further weaken the opposition.
Prominent party figures urged rival factions to put aside their differences and focus on rebuilding the party after months of internal conflict.
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, described the appellate court’s judgment as a victory for the rule of law, saying the ruling showed that “truth has prevailed.”
Fayose, who was expelled during the controversial PDP national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, noted that the immediate challenge facing the party was reconciliation between the factions loyal to Nyesom Wike and Samuel Anyanwu, and the camp aligned with Kabiru Turaki and Seyi Makinde.
He lamented that the prolonged crisis had already led to the defection of several party stalwarts.
“I don’t expect anything less from the court. When you break the rules, you face the consequences. The facts were clear,” Fayose said.
Despite the ongoing divisions, he stressed that both he and Nyesom Wike, currently Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, remain members of the PDP.
Fayose also defended his political relationship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that political alliances are a normal part of democratic politics.
Former PDP presidential aspirant, Sam Ohuabunwa, urged party members to accept the court’s decision and prioritise reconciliation.
He argued that the party’s current challenges stem from its failure to uphold its founding principles, particularly the zoning arrangement that traditionally rotates key political offices.
According to him, the crisis began when the party abandoned the zoning principle during the 2022 presidential primaries.
“A party that was built on the rotational principle abandoned it. Instead of zoning the presidency to the South, the contest was thrown open and it became a contest of money,” Ohuabunwa said.
He added that respect for the rule of law must guide the party’s recovery.
“Democracy thrives on the rule of law. Without it, there will be chaos and confusion. Now that the court has spoken, members should rally around the caretaker committee recognised by the judgment,” he said.
A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, described the crisis as a family dispute that should end following the appellate court’s ruling.
According to him, leaders from both camps have already signalled willingness to harmonise their positions.
“This is a family quarrel that must end with the Court of Appeal judgment,” he said.
Meanwhile, PDP chieftain Sunday Olaifa called on the party’s PDP Board of Trustees, led by former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, to urgently intervene in the crisis.
Olaifa described the court ruling as a “balanced decision” that left neither faction with a decisive victory.
“The only body not affected by the judgment is the Board of Trustees. The BoT is now the PDP’s lifeline,” he said.
He warned that failure to resolve the crisis quickly could push the party deeper into political decline.
“If nothing is done urgently, the PDP may drift further into the political wilderness,” he added.
