PDP crisis escalates as Prof Kila condemns chaotic factional clashes, calling them evidence of systemic dysfunction in Nigerian political parties
ABUJA – The PDP crisis intensified on Wednesday as Prof Anthony Kila, Director of the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies, criticised the recent factional clashes within the party, describing them as a clear sign of systemic dysfunction across Nigerian political organisations.
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Speaking on Arise News, Kila said the chaotic scenes witnessed during the parallel meetings at Wadata Plaza were a troubling reflection of how civility and internal discipline have eroded within the political class.
“What we saw there is a show of shame in terms of form and process,” he said. “The content can be legitimate, but it underlines the flaw in the Nigerian partisan political elite class.”
He added that the conduct of those involved exposed a deeper lack of shared values and cohesion, noting that the use of police officers as tools for intimidation was both alarming and unacceptable.
“The fact that these people can deploy police officers as thugs, shouting, shoving, and fighting one another shows they are not of like minds. They are simply people there to grab power.”
Kila also pointed to a lack of professional guidance within party structures, suggesting that political organisations would benefit from psychological expertise. “A lot of psychiatrists are not where they ought to be.
It might be a good idea to include a law to say that every party should have a lead house psychiatrist to deal with issues of the party as well.”
He warned that the PDP crisis should not be viewed as an isolated failure. “This today is the PDP. It could be anybody tomorrow.
Most political parties in Nigeria share these uncivilised, unbecoming, uninspiring traits. We need to look at it as a system problem, not just a PDP problem.”
The tension heightened after the factional National Chairman, Kabiru Turaki, and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike arrived separately for NEC and BoT meetings, triggering a confrontation that required heavy security intervention.
The party remains fractured following last Saturday’s Ibadan convention, where Wike, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, Kamaldeen Ajibade, former Ekiti Governor Ayo Fayose, and Austin Nwachukwu were expelled for alleged anti party activities.
The Wike aligned bloc retaliated by expelling Bode George, former BoT Chairman Adolphus Wabara, and Turaki, escalating the feud and deepening the PDP crisis.
Kila stressed the essential role of a viable opposition in safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy.
“Those who respect institutions, love democracy, and understand what civility is must have an interest in having a vibrant, stable, and viable opposition,” he said.
Addressing Wike’s call for the PDP to support an APC president, Kila urged a structured and transparent process. “It is legitimate for Minister Wike to say he wants his party to support an APC president.
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But the way to go about it is to have a proper conversation on the table. If the party agrees, they support him. If they disagree, that becomes a minority report.”
