Ogun PDP Is Dead And Awaiting Burial — Ogundele Declares Amid Defections

Factional Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Sikirullai Ogundele, has declared the party “dead and ready for burial,” citing prolonged internal crises, weak leadership, and mass defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as reasons for its collapse.

In an interview with Saturday Punch monitored by Naija News, Ogundele, who led the state PDP for nearly eight years, criticised what he described as the party’s “transactional politics,” asserting that these unresolved issues have stripped the PDP of credibility and unity.

“The PDP is fractured; you can’t walk on a broken leg. In every sense, PDP is finished — it’s like the party is under a spell,” he lamented.

He pointed to leadership disputes at the national level, especially the lingering controversy over the National Secretary position, as a major source of disunity. According to him, even reconciliation committees were compromised by members who allegedly accepted money from the highest bidders, resulting in “transactional, not credible” recommendations.

Though Ogundele has not formally resigned, he confirmed that his faction has started moves to align with the APC. Earlier in the week, he led prominent PDP figures, including the 2023 deputy governorship candidate Adekunle Akinlade, to a closed-door meeting with Governor Dapo Abiodun — a gathering insiders described as strategic.

“PDP has grossly mismanaged its crises, leading to massive electoral losses. The party is dead, and what remains is simply to bury it,” Ogundele said.

Having fallen out with the PDP’s 2023 governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, Ogundele now leads a splinter group within the party. He added that many in his camp are set to join the APC, acknowledging it offers more political relevance.

“If you still want to matter in politics, it’s better to be part of the ruling party than to chair a broken, poorly managed one,” he said.

Meanwhile, rival factional chairman Abayomi Tella admitted Ogundele’s possible departure would be significant. “I’ll miss Ogundele if he leaves, because I believe his soul remains with the PDP,” Tella said. However, he dismissed other defectors as “inconsequential.”

Tella insisted the PDP in Ogun is not dead but undergoing restructuring, expressing confidence the party will rebound before the 2027 elections.