Wike-Backed Faction Takes Over Oyo PDP Secretariat in Ibadan Amid Tight Security

The leadership crisis rocking the Oyo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a dramatic turn on Thursday as the Wike-backed faction, operating through the Gbolarumi Campaign Organisation, announced that it had taken over the party’s state secretariat at Molete, Ibadan.

The development, which unfolded under tight security, marks the latest escalation in the prolonged power struggle within the state’s main opposition party.

In a statement issued by the Gbolarumi Campaign Organisation, the group described the development as “the beginning of a new chapter” for the PDP in Oyo State and the return of what it called the “authentic PDP” to its political base.

The organisation said the move signalled the commencement of a renewed political movement under the leadership of former Deputy Governor and PDP governorship candidate, Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi.

“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 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.

It further described the takeover as a major turning point in the party’s internal struggle in the state.