KEY POINTS

• Olugbenga Edema, NNPP’s 2024 Ondo governorship candidate, resigned from the party citing internal conflicts and betrayal by party leadership.

• He accused NNPP leaders of sabotaging his court case against APC Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa by withdrawing party support.

• The resignation highlights ongoing instability within the NNPP, raising concerns about the party’s ability to retain key figures ahead of future elections.

Olugbenga Edema, the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, candidate in the 2024 Ondo State governorship election, has formally resigned from the party, citing unresolved internal conflicts and what he described as acts of betrayal by party leadership.

Edema’s resignation, dated May 9, 2025, was addressed to the NNPP chairman of Mahin Ward 11 in Ilaje Local Government Area.

Edema, a long-standing political figure who initially contested in the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries before switching to the NNPP, said his decision was driven by a loss of confidence in the party’s structure and ethics.

“Since joining the party in June 2024, the party has been characterised with internal wranglings and rancour that have stunted the growth of the party,” he wrote. “This is not healthy for any serious-minded party that intends to win elections, which is the major objective of all political parties.”

Channelstv reports that he went further to accuse the NNPP leadership of undermining his post-election legal battle against the APC by withdrawing support from a court case aimed at disqualifying Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his deputy, Olayide Adelami, from the November 16, 2024, election.

Legal setback was final straw in Edema’s Frustration with NNPP

The Court of Appeal in Akure recently struck out the case Edema filed against the APC candidates after the NNPP pulled out as a party to the suit. Edema interpreted this move as a deliberate sabotage by his own party, a betrayal he described as unprecedented in his 35 years of political experience.

“I have never seen a political party with a leadership so treacherous to the extent of frustrating its candidate by withdrawing a legitimate case in court in favour of an opposing party,” he stated. “It is apparent that the objective of the party is radically different from the above-stated objectives of any serious-minded political party.”

In his closing remarks, Edema confirmed his total withdrawal from the party: “By this letter, therefore, I hereby cease to be a member of the New Nigeria People’s Party with effect from today, May 9, 2025.”

His departure follows growing instability within the NNPP, as similar resignations and defections have been reported in other states, with several members crossing over to the APC or other parties amid internal disputes and leadership struggles.