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Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expelled persons he described as “vagabonds” from the party, insisting that they no longer have control over the affairs of the party.
Makinde made the remarks yesterday while speaking at the inauguration of the newly built PDP secretariat in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The governor was referring to the protracted leadership crisis within the party, which has pitched his camp and that of Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, against a rival faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
According to Makinde, those he labelled as disruptive elements were formally removed from the party following the controversial PDP national convention held in Ibadan in November 2025.
“In Yoruba land, we always say that if you see a house or a compound that is peaceful, the vagabond in that house has not grown up,” Makinde said.
“The vagabond in PDP grew up in 2015. They had their time and for 10 years, they practised their ‘vagabondcy’ in the PDP. But they have been expelled in November 2025, so no more vagabonds in the PDP.”
The November convention, backed by Makinde and Mohammed, produced a new National Working Committee (NWC) headed by Kabiru Turaki. The exercise, however, was preceded by conflicting court rulings, with some federal high courts attempting to halt the convention over alleged breaches of party constitution and electoral laws.
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An Oyo State High Court later cleared the party to proceed with the exercise and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to monitor the event.
Despite this, INEC in December 2025 declined to recognise the Turaki-led NWC, citing multiple subsisting court judgements. On Friday, a Federal High Court in Abuja also rejected a request by the faction to compel INEC to recognise the convention.
Makinde blamed the internal crisis on the PDP’s loss of power at the federal level in 2015, saying the vacuum created at the time allowed certain individuals to take over the party structure. “In 2015, PDP lost power at the federal level; there was a gap in leadership. Otherwise, those vagabonds would never have been able to take hold of the PDP,” he said.
The governor also admitted that he once aligned with the Wike-led group but had since distanced himself from them.
“Let me confess, I came into government in 2019 and towards 2023, I was yoked with them. But now, I’ve repented; I’m now born again,” he stated.
He warned that allowing the group to dominate the party again would be unacceptable, stressing that the PDP must move forward under credible leadership.
The ongoing tussle for control of the PDP has created deep divisions within the party, with both factions laying claim to legitimacy. Political analysts say the outcome of the legal battles would determine the future direction of the main opposition party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
