The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has formally issued expulsion certificates to 11 prominent members, including former governors Nyesom Wike and Ayodele Fayose, in what the party described as a firm step to restore discipline ahead of the 2027 elections.

The development was announced on Tuesday during a post-meeting briefing of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) in Abuja.

Addressing journalists, the National Chairman, Kabiru Turaki, SAN, said the decision marked the party’s renewed resolve to stamp out internal sabotage and strengthen its structures.

Turaki said the briefing followed a review meeting convened to assess party operations, ongoing primaries, legal disputes, and handover notes from the previous leadership.

He disclosed that the expulsion certificates had already been dispatched via courier to the affected individuals: Wike, Fayose, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, Umaru Bature, Kamarudeen Ajibade (SAN), Abdurahman Muhammad, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah Nnanna, George Turna, and Dan Orbih.

“They have been expelled. They remain expelled. We have now certified their expulsion, and these certificates have been sent to them,” Turaki said.

He added that the action also served as an official notice to INEC, the police, DSS, NSCDC and other institutions that the affected persons were no longer PDP members.

“Very soon, disclaimers will be issued to the public. Anyone who conducts business with them in the name of the PDP does so at his or her own risk,” he warned.

Turaki also provided updates on the party’s internal processes, confirming that the NWC had reviewed and approved the congresses held in Osun State to elect ad hoc delegates.

He stated that the Osun governorship primary was progressing smoothly and reaffirmed that Governor Ademola Adeleke remained a member of the party and one of the aspirants.

“As I speak to you, primaries are ongoing… Governor Adeleke’s name is listed among the aspirants,” he said.

Responding to reports of Adeleke’s purported resignation letter circulating online, Turaki stressed that the NWC had received no official communication to that effect.

He further clarified that the strength of the PDP lay in its grassroots membership, not necessarily in its elected officeholders.

“Our power, our strength, is in the people. That is why the PDP remains the people’s party,” he said.

Turaki also addressed issues concerning former governors Okezie Ikpeazu and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, recently nominated for ambassadorial roles, noting that the party had yet to receive formal communication from them.

The chairman used the briefing to criticise the APC-led Federal Government’s handling of national security, calling for an urgent overhaul of the country’s security architecture.

“Nigerians are not safe—in the streets, workplaces, farms, markets or in their homes. Every citizen lives in perpetual fear. That must change,” he said.

He reiterated that governors could not be described as chief security officers when they lacked operational control over security agencies.

Turaki also confirmed that the NWC had reviewed legal matters involving the party, including cases on the closure of its Legacy House and Wadata Plaza offices, expressing confidence in the party’s legal standing.

He added that the new NWC had begun studying handover notes from the outgoing leadership to ensure continuity and close administrative gaps.

“We are fully prepared to shoulder our responsibilities as Nigeria’s leading opposition party,” he said.

Meanwhile, the PDP has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to demonstrate the same democratic commitment at home that he allegedly showcased in Guinea-Bissau.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the party reacted to reports that Tinubu granted protection and asylum to Fernando Dia Da Costa, the opposition presidential candidate in the recently concluded Guinea-Bissau election.

Quoting details attributed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, and his media aide, Alkasim Abdulkadir, the PDP said the asylum move was presented as a step to protect Da Costa from threats and uphold democratic stability in the sub-region.

While commending the intervention, the PDP said President Tinubu must display similar commitment to democracy within Nigeria.

“The President must check anti-democratic practices within his cabinet and political machinery, who openly orchestrate and fund crises in major opposition parties,” the party stated.

It accused unnamed actors within the ruling APC of coercing elected officials to defect and sponsoring internal conflicts in opposition parties.

PDP warned that without decisive action, Nigeria risked drifting toward a one-party state.

“The same philosophical principles that shaped Nigeria’s intervention in Guinea-Bissau must guide the President’s domestic conduct,” the statement added.

The party insisted that the President’s credibility abroad must start with strengthening democratic processes at home.