Oyo LG Chairmen Congratulate Turaki, Say Wike, Fayose’s Expulsion Long Overdue
•By KAZEEM OYENIYI
IBADAN – THE Forum of Local Government Chairmen in Oyo State has congratulated the newly elected National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), on his emergence at the party’s national convention held on Saturday in Ibadan.
Turaki clinched victory at the convention, which took place at the main bowl of the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, where delegates from 17 states gathered to elect new members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
In a statement jointly signed by the Forum’s Chairman, Hon. Sakiru Sanda, and its Public Relations Officer, Hon. Ibrahim Akintayo, the Oyo LG chairmen urged the new national chairman to deploy his leadership experience to restore internal democracy and curb impunity within the party.
They acknowledged the weight of responsibility attached to Turaki’s new role but expressed confidence that his emergence signals a new direction for the PDP. The Forum also called on him to hit the ground running ahead of future state and national elections.
“We call on the new national chairman to avoid distractors like former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, Ayo Fayose, and their cohorts who have been a spanner in the wheel of the party,” the statement read. “Their actions have dragged the party into needless crises aimed at keeping the non-performing Tinubu-led administration in power.”
The Forum described Turaki’s victory as a testament to the resilience and commitment of PDP governors, stakeholders, and members across the states. They urged him to act as a unifier and immediately reach out to aggrieved members who have defected or aligned with other coalitions.
According to the chairmen, “The responsibility before Turaki is clear. Together with his new executive team, he must work decisively to restore the party’s glory and strengthen its nationwide structure.”
They also commended the peaceful and orderly conduct of delegates at the convention, saying it reflected the party’s readiness for genuine reconciliation and restructuring.
The Forum threw its weight behind the expulsion of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose; the Party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade; and seven other party leaders over alleged anti-party activities.
Hon. Akintayo, who noted that the motion for their expulsion was moved by PDP founding father Chief Bode George and seconded by Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, said the decision was long overdue and would serve as a deterrent to members attempting to undermine the party.
They argued that the expulsion would strengthen party discipline and reaffirm the PDP’s identity as the only major political party in Nigeria that has consistently upheld its ideological foundations since inception.
According to the statement, Wike and his associates had become divisive figures within the PDP. “Wike has acted in a parasitic manner. While he achieved a lot using the PDP as a springboard, he now acts as an agent of the ruling party to destroy the platform that made him,” the Forum alleged.
“Thankfully, the PDP NWC at the National Convention has deployed the necessary antidote for such parasitic elements.”
They urged the FCT Minister to “stay with his paymaster and allow the PDP to thrive.”
The LG chairmen described the expulsions as a welcome development and an important step toward restoring cohesion, discipline, and electoral viability within the PDP.
They called on party members nationwide to remain dedicated and supportive, assuring them that better days lie ahead and loyal members would reap the rewards when the political tide turns in the PDP’s favour.