Former chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Sani, says reconciliation efforts within the party have completely broken down, insisting that both factions have abandoned the process and returned to litigation over control of the party structure.

Consequently, presidential aspirant and founding member of the party,  Dr Gbenga Hashim, is weighing the option of exiting the party amid growing fear of opposition capture.

His decision seems to be filled by the resignation of the 2023 governorship candidate of the party in Kebbi State, Maj-Gen. Aminu Bande (rtd), from the party.

Speaking in an interview with Arise News yesterday, Sani said the initial understanding for reconciliation was that all sides would return to “status quo ante” but accused the rival camp of moving ahead with parallel party structures and a disputed convention.

He said: “Reconciliation has broken down. There is no more reconciliation. The idea was that everybody would return to status quo ante, but that has not happened.”

Sani explained that both sides had initially agreed to suspend key party activities to allow dialogue, but claimed the process collapsed after one faction proceeded with its own arrangements.

He described the situation as a takeover attempt, arguing that court rulings being relied upon by the rival camp were being contested as unconstitutional within the PDP framework.

Dismissing claims that the PDP lacks the capacity to fund presidential candidates, Sani insisted that the party historically relied on collective contributions rather than central funding.

ACCORDING to Hashim, what began as an internal leadership dispute has evolved into a full-blown structural breakdown, with entrenched factions and competing interests rendering the party increasingly ineffective as a national opposition platform.

“More concerning are growing indications that elements within the PDP may have aligned with the political establishment under President Bola Tinubu, raising fears that the party is being systematically weakened from within,” he added.

For many observers, this has fuelled speculation that the PDP risks losing its identity as an opposition force, with some even warning of a drift towards tacit support for the ruling order ahead of the 2027 elections.

Hashim’s ongoing consultations across party lines suggest a deliberate effort to build or align with a broader coalition capable of resisting the emergence of a one-party dominant system in Nigeria.

MEANWHILE, in a resignation letter dated April 5, 2026, and addressed to the Ward Chairman of PDP, Nasarawa I in Birnin Kebbi, Bande stated that his resignation takes immediate effect.

He explained that the decision followed deep consideration, reflection and consultations with his associates and other stakeholders.

According to him, the resignation was necessary to align with what he described as the collective decision of the generality of his people to embrace a more stable political platform aimed at promoting good, just, and fair governance in Kebbi and Nigeria at large.

The retired Army General did not disclose his next political destination but hinted that further announcements regarding his political future would be made soon.