The Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state of placing personal ambitions above party ideology, constitutional order and institutional discipline.
The ruling party described the approach as retrogressive and inconsistent with the principles of democratic governance.
The APC made the accusation in a statement issued on Tuesday by its State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Nuberu Adesanya Olufemi, while reacting to recent comments credited to the Ogun State Chairman of the PDP, Mr. Abayomi Tella, on the reported rift between Governor Dapo Abiodun and the senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.
According to the APC, the comments attributed to the PDP chairman were “profoundly disappointing” and exposed what it described as a fundamental misunderstanding of the role and structure of a modern political party.
What the PDP Said
Speaking during an interaction with journalists in Abeokuta, Tella had suggested that the PDP stood to benefit from the alleged feud between Governor Abiodun and Senator Daniel, especially if either of them failed to secure the APC ticket and sought an alternative platform.
He said the PDP was open to welcoming either of the political heavyweights back into the party.
“We will begin to look at areas where the PDP can gain from the ongoing rift between Dapo Abiodun and OGD, because Dapo Abiodun may not likely get his senatorial ticket from the APC,” Tella said.
“Maybe this rift will help us in luring Dapo Abiodun back to the PDP so that we can rehabilitate him to fit into the ideologies of the PDP.
“If it is OGD that we can lure back into the PDP, he is welcome. We will gladly harvest him back into the party because he is already a good breed.
“It will also be a plus for us to harvest Amosun back into the PDP. Bringing people like OGD, Abiodun and Amosun into the PDP is a big win for the party. The three of them are from this party; it was ambition that drove them away.”
He added that the PDP would “work immediately on the rift between Abiodun and OGD to ensure that the party gains from it.”
APC’s Response
Reacting, the APC said the interview revealed the PDP’s long-standing ideological weakness and lack of internal coherence, noting that the opposition party appeared more driven by opportunism than principle.
The APC argued that the PDP had failed to engage in meaningful self-reflection despite what it described as repeated electoral rejection by the people of Ogun State and Nigeria at large.
It further accused the PDP of hypocrisy, saying it was ironic for a party with what it called a poor governance record to lecture others on progressive politics.
According to the APC, the PDP’s years in government were marked by corruption, abandoned infrastructure projects, declining educational standards and a weakened healthcare system—failures it said voters had consistently punished at the polls.
The ruling party also pointed to what it described as persistent internal crises within the PDP at the national level, claiming the opposition had become a shadow of its former self and was projecting its internal challenges onto other parties.
“In contrast, the APC remains a party founded on clear ideas, internal democracy and a visionary constitution that guides its policies and actions,” the statement said.
The party listed resource control, compulsory and universal basic education, and true federalism as core principles underpinning its governance philosophy and public trust.
It stressed that while it continued to manage internal differences, it would not sacrifice party discipline, ideological coherence or core values in pursuit of what it described as “transient populism.”
The APC concluded that the strength of a political party should be judged by its people-focused programmes, democratic traditions and capacity to resolve internal disputes, not merely by its ability to attract defectors or serve as an election platform.
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