Senator Ben Obi, Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) National Convention Organising Committee, has defended the legitimacy of the contentious Ibadan convention, insisting the exercise was “properly and duly constituted”, while warning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to “draw the line” as tensions deepen within the opposition party.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE News on Tuesday, Obi said the clash at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja, where police fired tear gas to disperse warring factions, was the result of “minority elements” refusing to accept the outcome of the party’s highest decision-making body.
“The outgoing National Working Committee was an 18-man NWC. The chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, had with him 13 members of the National Working Committee as against four. Fourteen as against four,” he said.
He stressed that contrary to allegations, the Ibadan convention complied fully with legal and procedural requirements.
“The convention was properly and duly constituted. INEC was duly informed. The Nigerian Police were duly informed. The DSS were duly informed. The police and the DSS participated. What is mandatory is to give INEC 21-day notice—and we did. So you can see the convention was properly and duly constituted,” he said.
Obi said the party was left with no choice but to move decisively after years of internal indiscipline.
“Nigerians have been very worried that the PDP allowed so much indiscipline. What happened in Ibadan on Saturday into Sunday morning should have happened over one and a half years ago,”** he stated.
Expressing deep concern about the broader political implications of the crisis, Obi accused certain actors—particularly within government—of inflaming tensions.
“You have a minister of the federal government who only last week had issues with the military. Now again, the same things happen. We have to be very careful. I am worried because I know President Bola Tinubu very, very well,” he said.
He warned that Nigeria’s stability was at stake if the President failed to act.
“If we are saying that there is fire on the mountain and the fire keeps building, and you as the Commander-in-Chief are saying nothing to us, then something is going wrong. There is a time when you have to draw the line and say enough is enough,” Obi warned.
Obi maintained that the delegates’ unanimous endorsement of the convention process made its outcome irreversible.
“At the convention in Ibadan, because of the controversies around court rulings, I moved a motion asking the delegates whether we should continue with the elective convention. It was seconded and unanimously adopted by all the 3,131 delegates. The convention of any political party is the highest authority. Once a decision is taken there, it is final,” he said.
He dismissed claims by the Turaki-led faction that it holds legitimate authority.
“There must be a limit to this. We can’t continue this way. These are people that a commission has expelled, and they come to a National Executive Committee—who is convening that?”he asked.
Obi also accused some PDP figures of dual loyalties.
“As it stands, the PDP does not have a cohabitation arrangement with the APC. But we have a man who is supposed to be a member of the PDP as a minister in the APC. Nigerians know this very well,” he said.
He insisted that as long as the current leadership remains “firm and consistent”, Nigerians will recognise “the true leaders of the PDP”.
Despite the internal turmoil, Obi insisted the party will survive.
“Membership of the PDP is still very much intact. Governors leave, but down the rostrum, the members remain. The party is for the people. This leadership will return the party to the people,”he said.
Asked whether the PDP might emerge strengthened or collapse under its internal contradictions, Obi said only time will tell, but the party’s foundation remains solid.
“Go to any nook and cranny of this country—you will find a PDP office. Since 1999, it remains the only party that has not changed its name. The vision of the founding fathers still stands,” he said.
Boluwatife Enome
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