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Former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose has made it clear that he is not involved in the ongoing internal conflict within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The party has been embroiled in disputes following the 2023 presidential election, particularly around the position of acting national chairman Umar Damagum.
On September 18, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, who also heads the PDP Governors’ Forum, raised concerns about Damagum’s continued leadership during a meeting with the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT). Tensions have since escalated.
Fayose, in a tweet on Saturday, firmly distanced himself from the situation, stating he has no interest in becoming the party’s national chairman or holding any political office. He also urged the public to ensure they correctly identify him before attributing statements to his name, given the number of people with the same surname in Nigeria.
“I’m Peter Ayodele Fayose,” he wrote, advising that reports not clearly using his full name should be ignored. “I am not part of the drama in the party and will never be. I am also not interested in any political office, either appointed or elective.”
The crisis intensified after Damagum was appointed acting chairman in March 2023, following the suspension of Iyorchia Ayu. In April, party members aligned with former presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar raised concerns that Damagum was favoring Nyesom Wike, deepening the internal rifts.
A federal high court in Abuja later barred the PDP from removing Damagum, but a faction within the party moved to suspend both him and national secretary Sam Anyanwu. The court has since restrained further actions until the next national convention in 2025.
In the midst of the conflict, another faction appointed Yayari Mohammed as acting national chair, further complicating the party’s leadership crisis.
