Former PDP Publicity Secretary Ologbondiyan Resigns Amid Escalating Party Crisis

By Emmanuel Kwada 

In a significant blow to Nigeria’s main opposition party, Kola Ologbondiyan, the former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has announced his resignation from the party, citing personal reasons after a thorough review of his involvement.

Ologbondiyan, who served as the party’s chief spokesperson from 2018 to 2022, made the disclosure in a statement on Saturday. Accompanying the post was a formal letter dated December 5, 2025, addressed to the Chairman of Okekoko Ward 09 in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, where he holds his membership.

Titled “Notification of Membership Withdrawal,” the letter reads in part: “It is now imperative to bring your attention to the fact that I have reviewed my participation in the PDP and came to the conclusion that, for personal reasons, I need to make my exit. I have therefore come to a decision to formally withdraw my membership of the PDP, henceforth.”

He expressed gratitude to the party’s leadership, stating: “Let me start by thanking you, as well as other levels of leadership in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), for the opportunities provided for me to serve the party as well as our fatherland, Nigeria.”

Ologbondiyan’s departure is the latest in a torrent of high-profile exits that have plagued the PDP throughout 2025, marking one of the most turbulent periods in the party’s 25-year history.

Internal crises, leadership wrangles, and strategic maneuvering in anticipation of the 2027 general elections have fueled a mass exodus at every level of the party structure.

Among the most prominent defections were five PDP governors who crossed over to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC): Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, Douye Diri of Bayelsa, Peter Mbah of Enugu, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, and Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom.

These governors, in separate announcements, cited the need for closer alignment with the federal government to deliver on state mandates and frustration with the PDP’s “dysfunctional national structure.”

The hemorrhaging extended to the party’s presidential hopefuls and heavyweights. In July, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar tendered his resignation, lambasting the PDP for abandoning its founding principles of social democracy and good governance before pivoting to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition.

Similarly, former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who served as Atiku’s running mate in the 2023 elections, defected to the APC, citing irreconcilable differences over party direction.

Other notable figures include former Kogi State governorship candidate Dino Melaye, who joined the ADC after repeatedly decrying the PDP’s “ineffectiveness and internal sabotage.”

The legislative arm has not been spared, with 16 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly defecting en masse to the APC amid the state’s ongoing political imbroglio. Additional lawmakers from Kaduna, Niger, and Katsina states followed suit, while Senator Ned Nwoko of Delta State announced his move to the APC in November, further eroding the party’s Senate presence.

These defections have drastically weakened the PDP’s bargaining power, reducing its governorship count and legislative footprint while bolstering the APC’s dominance. Analysts warn that the opposition party’s survival hinges on urgent reforms to stem further bleeding.

“This wave of resignations isn’t just about individuals leaving; it’s symptomatic of a deeper rot in the PDP’s institutional framework,” said Prof. Remi Aiyede, a political scientist at the University of Ibadan. “Without addressing leadership accountability and ideological clarity, the party risks irrelevance ahead of 2027.”

As of press time, PDP National Chairman Umar Iliya Damagum had not issued an official response to Ologbondiyan’s exit. However, party insiders describe the atmosphere at the Wuse Zone headquarters in Abuja as one of subdued panic, with emergency meetings convened to strategize damage control.

Ologbondiyan’s next political affiliation remains unclear, though his recent engagements with the ADC suggest potential alignment there. The PDP, once a formidable counterweight to the APC, now faces an existential crossroads as Nigeria’s political landscape realigns.