The PDP crisis grew worse on Tuesday as the NEC expelled several top party leaders.
New suspensions and dissolved state councils increased tension and raised new questions about party unity.
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The internal crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party grew more serious on Tuesday after the National Executive Committee loyal to Nyesom Wike approved the expulsion of several prominent members, including Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State and Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State. Party elder Chief Bode George was also expelled.
The NEC went further by placing disciplinary sanctions on other senior figures in the party. Those suspended include a former Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, former Minister Senator Kabiru Tanimu Turaki and the Deputy National Chairman for the South, Taofeek Arapaja. They were accused of actions the committee described as harmful to the interest of the PDP.
The decisions were contained in resolutions reached at the one hundred and third NEC meeting held on Tuesday at the party’s National Secretariat in Wadata Plaza, Abuja. The team explained that the move was part of an effort to enforce discipline at a time when the party is struggling with deep internal divisions.
In another major step, the NEC confirmed the dissolution of the State Executive Councils in Bauchi, Oyo, Zamfara, Yobe, Lagos, Edo and Ekiti States. The committee stated that the affected structures were no longer functioning in line with party rules, which made their removal necessary.
While presenting the memo that recommended the expulsions and suspensions, the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Mohammed Abdulrahman, accused the sanctioned members of ignoring valid court judgments that guide party affairs. He said their refusal to comply created what he described as a serious embarrassment to the PDP and a clear attempt to weaken the organization at a critical time.
According to him, the decisions taken by the NEC were aimed at restoring discipline, order and full respect for the rule of law within the party. He explained that the PDP must remain united around its constitution so it can address the political challenges ahead.
