PDP Threatens Sanctions Against Members Endorsing Tinubu

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has issued a stern warning to its members publicly declaring support for President Bola Tinubu, insisting such actions amount to anti-party conduct and will not go unpunished.

The caution follows a series of high-profile endorsements of the president by prominent PDP figures, including Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, and some party leaders in Ogun State.

Wike, despite serving in Tinubu’s cabinet while retaining PDP membership, recently pledged to spearhead Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign in Rivers State. Similarly, Adeleke and other PDP stakeholders in Osun have praised the president as a “proud son” of the state, while Ogun PDP leaders such as Ladi Adebutu and state chairman Abayomi Tella have also openly aligned themselves with Tinubu.

The PDP’s National Working Committee, through its National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, stressed that these endorsements clearly violate the party’s constitution. Citing Section 10(6), Ologunagba said the PDP prohibits alignment with another party in a manner that undermines its interest.

He added that erring members risk sanctions under Section 59(1), which outlines penalties ranging from suspension to outright expulsion.

Speaking on Channels Television, South-South PDP caretaker chairman Emmanuel Ogidi reinforced this stance, declaring that no political party can succeed without discipline. While he noted that reconciliation remains part of the party’s strategy, he warned that those who persist in anti-party behavior would be disciplined.

Party insiders say the clampdown is aimed at reasserting control as the PDP prepares for its national convention scheduled for November 15–16, where key leadership positions and strategies for 2027 will be decided.

The leadership is worried that continued public endorsement of Tinubu by top members could fracture the opposition’s ranks and weaken its credibility going into the next election cycle.

Although the PDP has left its doors open for reconciliation and even for returnees who may have defected in the past, the leadership has made it clear that loyalty is non-negotiable.

The internal wrangling highlights the growing challenge the party faces in balancing unity with discipline, as it struggles to present a cohesive front against the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2027.