Two allies of leading figures in the Peoples Democratic Party have emerged as new state chairmen in Bayelsa and Ekiti, in fresh signs of the struggle for control within the opposition party ahead of future elections.
In Bayelsa State, George Turnah, an ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, emerged as chairman of the PDP during the party’s state congress in Yenagoa.
Turnah was elected alongside other members of the new state executive committee in a congress attended by party delegates from the eight local government areas of the state. The exercise was monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission and national officers of the party.
His emergence is expected to deepen Wike’s influence in Bayelsa’s PDP structure at a time the party continues to navigate internal divisions in several states.
Turnah said the congress marked the start of a new chapter for the party in the state. He expressed confidence that the PDP would remain strong in Bayelsa and retain its political relevance going into the next electoral cycle.
The Bayelsa congress followed the inauguration of a new party secretariat in Yenagoa, an event that also drew key party stakeholders.
In Ekiti State, Lanre Omolase, an ally of former Governor Ayodele Fayose, emerged as the new chairman of the PDP during the state congress held in Ado-Ekiti.
Other officers also emerged at the congress, including Chief Tunde Ogunleye as secretary, as the party moved to rebuild its structure in the state.
The congress committee chairman, Philip Adebiyi, described the exercise as peaceful and transparent. He said the process reflected the party’s commitment to internal democracy and urged stakeholders to unite ahead of the governorship election in the state.
Adebiyi also called on the PDP governorship candidate, Dr Wole Oluyede, to work with Fayose and other party leaders to improve the party’s chances at the poll.
In his acceptance speech, Omolase called for renewed commitment among party members and said the PDP must close ranks to regain lost ground in Ekiti politics.
The Ekiti outcome is widely seen as a boost for Fayose’s camp within the party, especially as the PDP battles internal disagreements over leadership and direction in different parts of the country.
The emergence of Turnah in Bayelsa and Omolase in Ekiti underlines how state congresses are becoming important battlegrounds for loyalists of influential party figures. It also shows that, despite its internal troubles, the PDP remains locked in a contest over who controls its structures at the state level.
