Ondo PDP chairman rejects dissolution order, vows to remain strong opposition

The Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State has dismissed the purported dissolution of its state executive committee as unlawful and unconstitutional, with the state chairman insisting the party remains intact, united, and committed to challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress.

State Chairman Dupe Aisida made the declaration on Friday while reacting to a statement credited to the factional National Organising Secretary of the party, Umaru Bature, which dissolved the state executive committee and constituted a caretaker committee in its place.

Aisida was unambiguous in rejecting the move. “The said publication did not emanate from any properly communicated channel to the Ondo State leadership of the party, nor was there any formal notification served on the state executive committee through the constitutionally recognised channels of the party,” he said, describing the statement as premature, misleading, and capable of creating unnecessary confusion among party members and the general public.

The rejection sets up a direct confrontation with the PDP’s National Caretaker Working Committee. A statement dated March 12, 2026, signed by National Publicity Secretary Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, announced the appointment of a caretaker committee for Ondo State, naming Olaniyi Ogungbuji as chairman and Amoo Olusegun as secretary, with a 15-member panel mandated to manage party affairs in line with provisions of the PDP Constitution. The committee’s tenure was set at 30 days or until a new State Executive Committee is elected.

Despite the dispute, Aisida projected confidence about the party’s overall health and direction. He said the PDP, though enmeshed in challenges, was formidable and would soon overcome its setbacks and return to full competitive strength. “Some pockets of elections held across the country have shown that PDP was a party that would not die,” he said.

The chairman urged PDP members across all 18 local government areas in Ondo State to remain calm, focused, and steadfast in their loyalty to the party. He also called on the media and the general public to disregard any interpretation or speculation capable of undermining the peace and cohesion of the party in the state.

The leadership crisis in Ondo mirrors similar turbulence playing out in other PDP state chapters. On the same day, the PDP’s National Caretaker Working Committee separately announced the dissolution of the party’s Ogun State Executive Committee with immediate effect, signalling a broader wave of internal restructuring being driven from the national level ahead of the 2027 general elections.