The Abuja Judgement: Reasserting Gbolarumi’s Authenticity In Oyo Gubernatorial Gridlock

By Seyifunmi Odunuga 

​The recent landmark judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has indubitably sent shockwaves through the political landscape of Oyo State, effectively dismantling the parallel structures and power alignments backing the state governor, Seyi Makinde. By dismissing the appeal that sought to challenge an earlier Federal High Court ruling on the party’s administrative structure, the appellate court has authenticated the current national administrative setup, consequently dislodging the rival faction led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN.

​This judicial intervention holds profound consequences for the gubernatorial configuration within the Oyo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Following the definitive pronouncement of the court, the legal apparatus backing Governor Makinde's parallel arrangements has collapsed. It has now become imperative to clarify that Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi remains the authentic and legally recognized gubernatorial flagbearer of the PDP for the upcoming Oyo State governorship election, as the validated National Working Committee (NWC) structure directly reinforces the legitimacy of the processes that produced him.

​You will recall that within the complex intra-party maneuvers preceding this verdict, the defunct Turaki-led faction, which enjoyed strong alignment with the Makinde camp, had positioned the former Deputy Governor, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, as a consensus  governorship candidate.

 This arrangement, concocted under the auspices of the parallel structure, has been rendered legally untenable by the current judicial reality, which nullified the products of that parallel administrative system.

​With the legal fog fully cleared by the appellate court, the authenticated mainstream leadership of the party in Oyo State has firmly asserted that the PDP stands as a single, indivisible entity.

 The party structure has explicitly dismissed any insinuations of a lingering internal factional split or parallel executive arrangements in the state.

​Furthermore, the mainstream leadership has categorically shut down rumors of any impending political alliance or working agreement with the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) or any other external political platforms ahead of the general elections. The emphasis within the party has completely shifted toward total reconciliation under the legally authenticated leadership to ensure absolute victory for the PDP across all elective positions in Oyo State.