Ex-PDP National Ex-Officio David Vaughan urges the party’s founding fathers and BoT to resolve leadership disputes to strengthen 2027 election chances
A former two-term PDP National Ex-Officio, Mr. David Vaughan, has urged the party’s founding fathers and Board of Trustees (BoT) to intervene in the ongoing leadership crisis threatening the party’s cohesion ahead of the 2027 elections.
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Vaughan, a PDP governorship aspirant in Lagos State in 2023, said unresolved factional disputes risk further weakening the party and could compromise its electoral prospects.
> “Political problems are better settled politically because politics may take a lifetime, but the life span of an event in political calculation can be very short,” he said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.
He warned that the same factional leaders who worked against the party in 2023 are still causing divisions, particularly between camps loyal to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
“When this thing started, we warned both sides that it would not augur well for the party. Elections are here again. The truth is that all factions and leaders must come together and iron things out, prioritising party interest above personal interests,” Vaughan said.
According to him, reconciliation at the national leadership level would encourage grassroots members to return to the party. He criticized the Ibadan National Convention and an upcoming Wike-led convention, calling them “one-sided” and a threat to party unity.
Vaughan also stressed that a united PDP could still challenge the ruling APC in 2027 if it embraces strategic alliances, discipline, and credible programmes.
“If all opposition parties unite in a sincere coalition, the ruling APC will spend so much money and still be dazed by the results. PDP should be open to alliances ahead of time. Let us have a winning mentality and a new political culture that does not depend on immediate gratification,” he said.
He further urged defected PDP leaders to return and contribute to rebuilding the party, recalling that focused leadership and grassroots mobilisation helped PDP win legislative seats in 2015.
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“With sincerity, discipline and unity, the party could still stage a strong comeback in 2027 and other elections,” Vaughan concluded.
