Sokoto PDP Crisis Deepens as State Chapter Rejects Dissolution Order
By Fahad Faruk Galadanchi
Fresh tension has erupted in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP after the Sokoto State chapter rejected a dissolution order issued by the party’s national headquarters.
The PDP national leadership had announced the immediate dissolution of the Sokoto State executive committee and named a 15 member caretaker committee to oversee party affairs in the state. Hayatu Tafida was appointed chairman of the interim committee while Ahmed S. Pawa was named secretary.
However, the move was swiftly resisted by the Sokoto State chairman, Hon.Bello Goronyo, who described the decision as unconstitutional and lacking due process.
Goronyo insisted that he and other members of the state executive remained the legitimate leaders of the party, stressing that only a court of law could remove officials elected through a valid congress.
“When I saw the statement, I laughed. You cannot simply dissolve an elected executive. It cannot be done in that manner. We were duly elected into office, and only a court of law has the authority to remove us” he said.
He also referenced the ongoing leadership crisis at the national level, noting that related disputes are already before the Supreme Court. According to him, whatever outcome emerges from that case does not affect the tenure of the Sokoto State executive.
The development has effectively created two parallel leadership structures in Sokoto, the Goronyo-led executive and the newly announced caretaker committee raising concerns over possible division and paralysis within the party ahead of future elections.
Political observers say the latest dispute reflects the wider internal struggles that have continued to weaken the PDP across several states.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the national headquarters nor the caretaker committee had issued any fresh response to the rejection.
