The leadership crisis in the Oyo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), deepened on Thursday as the Gbolarumi Campaign Organisation announced the takeover of the party’s secretariat at Molete, Ibadan.
In a statement, the organisation said the move marked ‘the beginning of a new chapter’ for the PDP in the state and the return of what it described as the “authentic PDP” to its political base.
The group alleged that the Molete secretariat had been under the control of loyalists of Governor Seyi Makinde, whom it accused of shifting political allegiance to the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, while neglecting the PDP.
“The authentic PDP is back home. This is not just about recovering a building; it is about reclaiming the soul, structure and vision of our great party. Today marks the beginning of a new era in Oyo politics,” the statement read.
The campaign organisation said reclaiming the secretariat was a major turning point in the party’s internal struggle and signaled the commencement of a renewed political movement under the leadership of former Deputy Governor and PDP governorship candidate, Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi.
It disclosed plans to commence an extensive grassroots mobilisation campaign across all 33 local government areas of the state. According to the group, its political structures have been fully activated ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The statement added that the Molete secretariat would immediately resume operations as the central coordination hub for the campaign, where party leaders, members and supporters would meet to strategise ahead of the next electoral cycle.
The development is expected to further heighten political tensions within the Oyo PDP, where rival factions continue to lay claim to the party’s leadership and structures as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.
