- Party suspends Suswam, others in Benue over insubordination
Fresh crisis has erupted within the People’s Democratic Party in Osun State following a struggle for party tickets ahead of the local government election slated for February 22, 2025.
Some prominent figures in the party have alleged imposition of candidates ahead of the primaries, saying some party leaders have been affirming and endorsing candidates.
They said most of those that are being penciled at various wards for the councillors and chairmanship positions are the immediate past caretaker chairmen who resigned their positions across the state recently.
Some of those who alleged imposition said party executive officers at state and ward levels were not fair and transparent.
One of them, a female politician from Iragbiji town in the state, Falilat Arike, vented her anger against the party leadership on social media on Thursday amid sobs and wailing.
Arike claimed that the party cheated her husband, Akeem Oyetunji, who is also a politician in the town as none of those he was rooting for the posts of councillors was considered by the party executive and leaders in the four wards of Iragbiji.
She took to her social media page and announced her exit from the PDP, saying she had done a lot for the party and that her husband does not deserve to be shortchanged.
“When I married my husband, he said I should give him my full support because he is a core PDP member and I gave him my full support. He was cheated the first time and they assured him that there would be another election. Now, all the four councillors in Iragbiji are his own and they won but now, they have reversed it.
“I gave all the executives of PDP in Iragbiji my full support. This must not happen to me. It must not be so. The people of Osun should come to my aid. I am no longer in the PDP. PDP has pushed me out,” she said while crying and rolling on the floor.
Meanwhile, the state governor, Ademola Adeleke had on Tuesday, warned against infighting in the party, saying such development could weaken the ruling party.
Addressing the PDP stakeholders who were at a meeting ahead of the chairmanship and councillor primaries for local government elections in the state, Adeleke had said, “I can say it anywhere that PDP is the progressive party. In Osun, we have a disciplined party that’s working for the people. My only appeal to us is that we must remain united. We should never allow our issues to degenerate. We must remain one united family.”
He urged members to prioritise the upcoming local government election as a crucial step towards the 2026 governorship election.
He stressed that any infighting could weaken their chances of winning the elections.
Adeleke also called on party leaders to avoid airing the party problems on social media, and to resolve any internal issues within the party, saying, “We should stop taking matters to social media. We should resolve our matters internally.”
The governor noted that a unified front is essential in countering “wounded opposition” who want to undermine the state’s progress.
Adeleke called for strict adherence to party discipline and decisions made by the leadership, stating that such measures are necessary to strengthen the party and improve its electoral prospects.
In his remarks, the PDP state Chairman, Sunday Bisi, denied allegations of candidate imposition ahead of the primaries.
He said that the party or Adeleke dynasty is attempting to impose candidates for local government positions as a ruse.
“It is not true that the Adeleke dynasty or any other group is imposing candidates on the local governments,” the chairman clarified.
“Politics is local, and everyone is free to go to their local government and make arrangements for their preferred chairmanship and councillor candidates. As a party that practices democracy, we cannot twist anyone’s arm. Everyone is free to aspire for any position they wish.”
The chairman urged all candidates to go to their grassroots and work for their tickets while adding that Osun PDP is fully prepared for the upcoming local government election.
PDP suspends Suswam, others in Benue over insubordination
In a related development, the PDP in Benue State has suspended Senator Gabriel Suswam, Terngu Tsegba, Richard Gbande, Terseer Tsumba and Professor Nicholas Ada, from the party.
Also suspended are the chairmen of the party for Apa, Gboko, Gwer-East, Katsina-Ala, Konshisha, Logo, Otukpo and Ukum local government areas.
The party had summoned the affected persons on Wednesday on charges of gross misconduct and anti-party activities.
The summons, which underscores ongoing tensions within the party in the state, followed an alleged invasion of the party’s state secretariat in Makurdi by thugs reportedly led by a ‘suspended’ state chairman, John Ngbede.
The affected persons were required to appear before the State Working Committee on Thursday by 10am.
In a statement, Bemgba Iortyom, state Publicity Secretary of the party, said the summon was aimed at interacting with the invited persons at a preliminary level and possibly avoid the need to take disciplinary action.
“But rather than reciprocate the conciliatory gesture extended to them, they chose the path of intransigence and insubordination by refusing to appear before the SWC as required, with some of them taking to the public space to pour scorn on the party’s constituted authority.
“Their unfortunate conduct contravenes Section 58 of the Constitution of the People’s Democratic Party (as Amended in 2017) and accordingly, they have been suspended from the party for a period of one (1) month, and are hereby directed to appear before the Disciplinary Committee of the party at a date, venue and time to be communicated to them by the committee,” Iortyom said.
