A former two-term National Ex-Officio of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr David Kolawole Vaughan, has appealed to the party’s founding fathers and the Board of Trustees (BoT) to urgently intervene in the lingering leadership crisis threatening the party’s survival ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Vaughan, who was also a PDP governorship aspirant in Lagos State during the 2023 elections, made the call in an interview with journalists in Lagos.
He warned that unresolved internal disputes and persistent factional struggles could further weaken the party and undermine its electoral chances.
According to him, political challenges are best resolved internally through dialogue and reconciliation, noting that the PDP no longer has the luxury of time to ignore its leadership problems.
He said the Board of Trustees possesses the moral authority and institutional mechanisms required to restore unity within the party and should rise above personal interests or inducements to act decisively.
“The Board of Trustees has a strong hold. They should come together and intervene with honesty.
We cannot continue like this.
The BoT should wake up from sleep,” Vaughan said.
He lamented that individuals who worked against the party under the G-5 arrangement during the 2023 elections were still embroiled in internal battles, further polarising the party.
Vaughan argued that the PDP’s inability to politically manage its internal crisis was a major factor behind its loss in the 2023 presidential election.
He pointed to the ongoing divisions between camps loyal to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as a major source of instability.
“When this issue started, we warned both sides that it would not augur well for the party. Elections are around the corner again,” he said.
The PDP chieftain stressed that all factions and leaders must put party interest above personal ambitions, insisting that elections are won through unity rather than division.
“PDP is too big for one man.
We need everybody.
We must not ostracise anybody,” Vaughan said.
He expressed concern that internal wrangling had led to the defection of many loyal members to other parties, while some long-standing leaders had refused to step aside to allow fresh ideas and leadership renewal.
According to him, genuine reconciliation at the national leadership level would naturally encourage aggrieved members at the grassroots to return to the party.
“Once we settle issues at the top, it becomes easier for members at the grassroots to come together and return from where they defected,” he said.
Vaughan cautioned against what he described as one-sided national conventions, referencing the Ibadan convention and warning that another planned convention allegedly backed by the Wike camp should not proceed if it lacks inclusiveness.
“The party is bigger than that. We must put our house together,” he said.
He maintained that the PDP could still be repositioned to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027 if its leaders adopted sharper strategies, embraced unity, and pursued alliances early.
Vaughan expressed confidence that a united opposition coalition could defeat the APC, noting that many Nigerians still retained goodwill toward the PDP at the grassroots.
“If all opposition parties unite in a sincere coalition, the ruling APC will spend so much money and still be dazed by the results,” he said, urging the PDP to adopt a new political culture that prioritises long-term vision over immediate gratification.
While calling on defected leaders to return and help rescue the party, Vaughan noted that the PDP also had the capacity to build new leaders if necessary.
He recalled that during his time as Director of Operations and Mobilisation in 2015, the party recorded electoral successes through focused leadership and grassroots mobilisation.
Vaughan concluded that with sincerity, discipline, and unity of purpose, the PDP could still stage a strong comeback in 2027 and beyond.
Written by Taoreed Abdullah