The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has issued a stern warning to members openly endorsing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, vowing stiff sanctions against those engaging in “anti-party activities.”
In a statement signed by National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) expressed displeasure at the persistent public declarations of support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate by prominent members, in violation of the party’s constitution.
“Such anti-party activities have continued to negatively impact the PDP, leading to division, disaffection and heavy haemorrhaging of members, with the capacity to diminish our party’s electoral fortune if not immediately checked,” the statement read.
Citing Section 10(6) of the PDP Constitution, which forbids members from aligning with other parties to undermine the PDP, the NWC warned that those involved must “retrace their steps or face stiffer sanctions” under Section 59(1). It urged members to remain loyal ahead of the party’s national convention slated for November 15–16, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Wave of Endorsements
The warning comes amid a growing list of PDP figures and state chapters pledging support for Tinubu, despite the president belonging to the rival APC.
Leading the pack of endorsements during his monthly media chat, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, had declared himself a “key asset” to Tinubu’s re-election campaign and promised to lead the president’s 2027 efforts in Rivers State.
“I’m not a liability. I’m an asset. Whether you like me or not, I’m an asset to making sure Tinubu wins a second tenure,” Wike said during a live media chat in Abuja. He vowed that Tinubu, who secured less than 10 per cent of the vote in Rivers in 2023, would record a decisive victory there in 2027.
In Ogun State, PDP chairman Abayomi Tella and 2023 governorship candidate Ladi Adebutu also endorsed Tinubu during a by-election campaign flag-off in Sagamu on August 5. Tella described the president as “a son of the South-West” deserving of regional support, while Adebutu stressed the party harboured no ill will towards Tinubu’s leadership.
Similarly, on July 22, the Osun State PDP caucus, led by Governor Ademola Adeleke, adopted Tinubu as its preferred candidate, citing his ancestral ties to the state. The move sparked speculation that Adeleke might defect to the APC ahead of the 2026 governorship election, although the caucus insisted he remains committed to the PDP.
In the rising tension that followed the spate of endorsements, the party’s leadership faces the dual challenge of enforcing discipline while preventing further defections.
Political analysts observe that the spate of endorsements underscores deepening divisions within the PDP as it struggles to maintain cohesion ahead of the next general election.
With Wike’s defiant stance, state-level endorsements, and caucus realignments, the PDP’s internal battle over loyalty and electoral strategy appears set to intensify in the months leading up to 2027.
