The recent Court of Appeal judgment upholding the electoral victory of Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his deputy, Dr. Olayide Adelami, has re-ignited political tensions, especially within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
In response, Allen Sowore, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Aiyedatiwa on Strategic Communication, released a sharp critique tracing the historical roots of what he described as the PDP’s chronic refusal to accept political realities—a phenomenon he calls “PDP Kònígbà.”
The term, derived from Yoruba and loosely translated as “we no go gree,” symbolizes a hard-line, uncompromising posture in political engagements.
According to Sowore, the phrase captures the factionalism and internal crises that have plagued the PDP since the days of former Governor Olusegun Agagu.
Reflecting on the party’s history, Sowore recalled the PDP’s division into “PDP Local” and “PDP State” camps during Agagu’s tenure, and later into PDP Kònígbà and PDP Gbàsibè during the tumultuous 2016 transition from the Labour Party (LP) to the PDP.
He argued that the legacy of such disunity continues to haunt the party’s electoral fortunes.
Sowore’s comments followed yesterday’s decisive ruling by the Court of Appeal in Akure, which unanimously dismissed all four appeals filed against Aiyedatiwa’s election.
The panel, led by Hon. Justice Yargata Nimpar and supported by Justices K.I. Amadi and I.M. Sani, declared the cases as lacking in merit and upheld the results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The APC candidate had won a landslide in the November 16, 2024 governorship election, securing 366,781 votes across all 18 local governments—an outcome now referred to by analysts as the “18–0 Pro Max” verdict.
Despite repeated validation of the election by both the people and the courts, Sowore warned that the PDP’s persistent litigation could soon take the form of another appeal to the Supreme Court, describing it as another chapter in a worn-out political playbook.
“In politics,” he noted, “you need statecraft, not just stubbornness. The PDP must learn to accept the will of the people and move on.”
While some opposition figures view continued legal battles as a legitimate constitutional right, others argue it reveals an unwillingness to reform or concede—a trait Sowore believes will keep the party stuck in a cycle of irrelevance unless it redefines its strategy.
As August begins, many political observers wonder: Will the PDP finally step away from the Kònígbà mindset—or march once more into the courts?
