The internal crisis within Nigeria’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has intensified in Oyo State, following the dismissal of several local government officials perceived as loyal to a key figure in the party’s national faction led by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Seun Onifade, the elected Chairman of Ibadan North Local Government Council, terminated the appointments of three supervisory councilors and an assistant secretary in a letter dated Friday. The dismissed officials are Mr. Olaniyi Stephen (Assistant Secretary II), Hon. Sakiru Oladele (Supervisory Councilor for Ward 1), and Hon. Latifat Latifu (Supervisory Councilor for Ward 12). The chairman’s directive explicitly ordered Mr. Stephen to “desist from parading yourself as Assistant Secretary in the Local Government” with immediate effect.
This administrative action follows a recent meeting in Abuja attended by Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi, a former Deputy Governor of Oyo State and a prominent leader of the Wike-aligned faction within the state PDP. Gbolarumi’s participation in the national faction’s gathering is seen as the catalyst for the dismissals. The Ibadan North Council Chairman, who operates under the political structure of Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration, moved to remove officials aligned with Gbolarumi.
The incident highlights the ongoing and deepening rift between Governor Seyi Makinde and Minister Nyesom Wike over the soul of the PDP. Their protracted leadership contest has resulted in parallel party structures at both federal and state levels, effectively fragmenting the main opposition party across multiple regions. The sacking of local government appointees in Oyo State demonstrates how this national power struggle is now directly impacting governance and administrative appointments at the grassroots level, further entrenching factionalism within the party’s ranks.
