A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos, Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse, expressed optimism that the state chapter will regain stability after an upcoming state congress.
Speaking to journalists on Saturday, Pearse emphasized that the congress, which has yet to be scheduled, will help the party “find its way” as it prepares for the 2027 general elections.
Pearse, a former member of the Atiku Abubakar 2023 presidential campaign council, acknowledged internal crises among the Lagos PDP leadership, which he believes contributed to the party’s underwhelming performance in the 2023 elections.
To address these challenges, three committees have been formed to guide the party’s reorganization and strengthen unity.
“The PDP congresses will begin soon, and this will make the party find its way. The status quo is intact in the PDP,” Pearse noted. He highlighted that these committees, established a few months ago, now play a central role in unifying members and rebuilding the party structure.
The committees, according to Pearse, include a disciplinary committee led by the state deputy chairman, Tai Benedict; a reconciliation committee chaired by former state chairman Muritala Ashorobi; and a finance committee, which he oversees.
He stressed that despite recent discord, the PDP structure remains strong across all wards and local government areas in Lagos.
Pearse also addressed the PDP’s poor performance in the 2023 governorship election, attributing it to decisions by the national leadership and the gubernatorial candidate.
He criticized the national leadership for allowing Dr. Abdul-Azeez Adediran (Jandor), who was relatively new to the party, to oversee delegate selection, which caused significant disarray.
“What happened in the last election was that the national leadership handed over the selection of delegates to the party’s governorship candidate,” Pearse explained.
This led to a division within the party as members resisted what they perceived as imposed leadership.
