A former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kola Ologbondiyan, has said the party’s survival depends on convening a national convention to overhaul its leadership and inject fresh energy into its structure.
Speaking on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, The Morning Brief, on Friday, Ologbondiyan said, “As we speak, the party is going ahead saying it is organising congress and I find it laughable because who are those that will buy forms in the first place for you to conduct a congress?
“What the party needs at this critical moment of its life is to go into a convention, replace the leadership, or recalibrate it in a situation wherever it can and allow a new life to run the party.”
He argued that without urgent reforms and a clear strategy to revive the PDP, the party risked sinking deeper into irrelevance.
According to him, factions within the PDP had taken divergent paths from those pushing for a strategic alliance with President Bola Tinubu to others who are seeking alternative platforms or simply staying neutral.
Ologbondiyan noted during the show that the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who is a serving member under the PDP, has his sympathy for trying to revamp the party’s structure, but expressed doubt about the possibility of success unless steps were taken.
“Governor Seyi Makinde has my sympathy and possibly support because he is in a desire to say we can revamp the situation, and in revamping the situation, we can still use it effectively as an opposition political party.
“But to be honest with you, from the look of things, I don’t see how that will manifest, and I say this from a responsible position,” Ologbondiyan stated.
Ologbondiyan’s remarks came amid the recent resignation of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from the party, citing concerns over its viability and internal crises.
The party has also been embroiled in leadership tussles, with allegations of factionalism and disputes over its direction as the 2027 elections approach.
