In a significant blow to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a former deputy governor of Ondo State, Ambassador Omolade Oluwateru, has officially resigned his membership from the crisis-ridden opposition party.
Birthday Event Marks Political Exit
The seasoned politician and former Nigerian Ambassador to Uganda announced his decision publicly on Thursday, January 15, 2026. The announcement came during the celebration of his 79th birthday, an event organized by the Asiwaju Mandate Group in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
Oluwateru, who served as deputy governor under the late Governor Olusegun Agagu from 2003 to 2007, was also a former member of the PDP's influential Board of Trustees. His departure underscores the deepening fractures within the party's ranks at both state and national levels.
Lingering Leadership Crisis Cited as Reason
Explaining his resignation, the former envoy pointed directly to the "lingering leadership crisis" plaguing the PDP. He characterized the party's internal turmoil as a fundamental absence of cohesion, direction, and foresight.
Oluwateru specifically attributed the escalation of the crisis to the actions of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike. This aligns with the ongoing power struggle that has seen Wike lead a faction opposing the party's mainstream leadership.
Convention Chaos and Parallel Structures
The PDP's troubles were starkly highlighted in November, when the party held a national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State. The convention, supported by Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, led to the emergence of a new National Working Committee (NWC).
However, the event was marred by conflicting court rulings. While a Federal High Court in Abuja attempted to halt the convention, an Oyo State High Court in Ibadan permitted it to proceed, ordering the electoral body to monitor the process.
In response, the faction led by Nyesom Wike formed parallel party structures, including a rival NWC, Board of Trustees (BOT), and National Executive Committee (NEC), further cementing the party's division.
Analyst Echoes Presidential Advice to PDP
Commenting on the situation, political analyst Omotayo Yusuf urged the PDP to listen to counsel previously offered by President Bola Tinubu. Yusuf recalled the President's address to the National Assembly earlier in the year, where he told the opposition party it needed to "put your house in order."
"I do go back to the words of the president... when he told the PDP that you need to put your house in order, and I will not do that for you," Yusuf stated in an interview.
Another High-Profile Departure Hits PDP
Oluwateru's exit is not an isolated incident. The party recently suffered another major loss with the resignation of former senator and diplomat, Abdallah Wali, from the PDP in Sokoto State.
Wali's resignation, communicated via a letter to his ward chairman, was also linked to the internal leadership struggle involving Nyesom Wike and Seyi Makinde. These consecutive departures signal a worrying trend of erosion within the party's senior membership base.
The resignation of a figure of Oluwateru's stature from the PDP in Ondo State represents more than a personal political decision; it is a stark indicator of the profound institutional crisis threatening the viability of Nigeria's major opposition party.
