A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse, has downplayed the ongoing internal crisis within the party, insisting that it remains Nigeria’s strongest opposition platform despite recent political challenges.
Pearse made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday while reacting to the recent ruling of the Court of Appeal which invalidated the outcome of the PDP’s 2025 Ibadan National Convention.
The ruling has further intensified the leadership crisis within the party, a development that has led to the defection of some governors as well as federal and state lawmakers to other political parties.
However, Pearse, who served on the 2023 Presidential Campaign Committee of Atiku Abubakar and is the convener of the Reset Lagos PDP group, said the situation had been exaggerated by critics.
According to him, the challenges facing the party are not as disastrous as widely perceived.
“What is happening to the PDP is not as disastrous as many people think. People in their minds are still with the party as the main opposition party,” he said.
Pearse maintained that the PDP continues to pose the biggest political threat to the ruling party, noting that the level of attacks and internal disputes reflects the party’s relevance.
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“PDP is still the biggest threat to the ruling party and that is why the troubles are many. The loss of some governors and lawmakers to the ruling party and other political parties does not show we are finished at all,” he added.
He also argued that the defections of elected officials do not necessarily translate to a loss of grassroots support for the party.
According to Pearse, the electorate who voted the defecting politicians into office still remain loyal to the PDP.
“It does not mean anything at all because the people that elected them are still with the party as the only party that cares about their welfare and well-being. Our core members are not following these defectors to the parties they have moved to,” he said.
Pearse added that the party leadership remains confident of overcoming the current challenges, echoing sentiments earlier expressed by Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State.
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He also urged a factional PDP Caretaker National Working Committee loyal to Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, to allow the party’s leadership the space to resolve its internal disputes.
Speaking on the legal battle surrounding the party’s leadership structure, Pearse noted that the appellate court ruling which nullified the Ibadan convention also upheld the suspended national officers in the factional caretaker committee.
He expressed confidence that the PDP National Working Committee led by Kabiru Turaki would eventually get justice at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Pearse argued that there was no need for another national convention to elect party executives, stressing that the November 16, 2025 convention in Ibadan was properly conducted under the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, with more than 3,000 delegates from across the country.
He also dismissed calls by former Senate President Bukola Saraki for a fresh national convention following the Appeal Court ruling.
According to him, the Ibadan convention represented the collective will of the party as the PDP’s highest decision-making body, where delegates deliberated extensively on the party’s internal challenges and reached resolutions through a democratic process.
Pearse warned that reopening issues already settled at the convention could destabilise the party further.
“Rather than reopening issues that were already decided at the national convention, party stakeholders should focus on strengthening unity and consolidating the party ahead of future political contests,” he said.
He also criticised Saraki’s role during earlier reconciliation efforts within the party.
Pearse alleged that at the height of the conflict between Wike and the PDP leadership led by Damagum, Saraki—who chaired the party’s reconciliation committee—had worsened the crisis instead of resolving it.
Despite the ongoing tensions, Pearse expressed optimism that the PDP would eventually overcome its internal disputes and remain a formidable force in Nigeria’s political landscape.
