Former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has accused the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and Senator Aminu Tambuwal of contributing to the party’s decline.
“Atiku destroyed the PDP, Tambuwal destroyed the PDP, and Ayu destroyed it. Politics is not fair; life itself is not balanced,” Fayose said on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s PoliticsToday.
Fayose, a long-time PDP loyalist, defended his decision to support Bola Tinubu for president in 2023.
“Everybody stands where they will be able to say the truth to Nigerians. I am not contesting elections, and I have not asked anybody for favours. Openly, I supported Asiwaju Tinubu in 2023, and I didn’t hide it. Till now, I am still there. I didn’t jump. I have said it to you: I am not a member of the APC, and I will never be,” he stated.
The former governor also addressed the reported rift between Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, warning Fubara to tread carefully.
“Let me quickly say this. I never knew this thing would ever happen between Governor Fubara and Minister Wike. I was sitting on the high table the day Governor Fubara was sworn in, and we were together in Rivers. I even told Wike that I want to say a few things to Fubara not to betray him,” Fayose said.
PDP crises
The PDP has been plagued by internal crises that have tested its unity and reshaped its political dynamics. At the centre of the tensions were former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu, and Senator Tambuwal.
The seeds of the crisis were sown during the May 2022 PDP presidential primaries, where Atiku faced competition from Tambuwal, Wike, and other aspirants. Tambuwal eventually withdrew and endorsed Atiku, securing the latter’s nomination.
However, Wike, supported by several governors, called for Ayu’s resignation, accusing him of undermining party unity. The “G5” bloc of governors argued that leadership roles and party decisions were skewed, threatening southern representation and fairness within the PDP.
Ayu and Atiku, meanwhile, defended the chairman, insisting that removing him outside constitutional procedures would set a dangerous precedent and destabilise the party further. The subsequent refusal of Ayu to resign, despite prior agreements if a Northerner won the ticket, created a legitimacy deficit that plagued the party through the 2023 elections and continues to affect its dynamics in 2026.
