Asue Ighodalo’s ally resigns from PDP, says party hijacked by undemocratic forces

A political associate of Asue Ighodalo, Deacon Darlington Okpebholo Ray, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect.

Okpebholo was the lead spokesman of the Team Asue Media Organisation (TAMO) during the last governorship election in Edo state.

The UK-based media expert and longtime party loyalist conveyed his resignation in a letter dated July 17, 2025, and addressed to the PDP chairman in ward 5, Esan North-East LGA of Edo state.

He said the PDP had lost its founding soul to “undemocratic forces and personal interests”, accusing the party of betraying its core values.

His words: “I write to formally tender my resignation as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with immediate effect.

“Since joining the party in 1998, I have served diligently and in good conscience across various strategic platforms, as lead spokesman of the Team Asue Media Organisation, media committee member of the Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu campaign organisation (2016), and later, the Godwin Obaseki campaign organisation (2020).

“I was also honoured to serve as a member of the PDP youth mobilisation committee in 2019 and as the national coordinator of the Think Naija Think Atiku support group.”

He said these roles allowed him to represent the party and its candidates on various platforms while abroad as a diaspora member dedicated to Nigeria’s democracy.

He added: “Throughout these assignments, I remained committed to the founding values of inclusion, internal democracy, and collective advancement that once defined the PDP.

“Sadly, the soul of the party has been surrendered to undemocratic forces and personal interests, suffocating the hopes of young Nigerians who once saw the PDP as a beacon of national redemption.”

He said his resignation was a moral and political obligation, given the current direction of the party.

“As such, I find it morally and politically necessary to withdraw my membership and step away from a system that no longer reflects the aspirations of its people.

“I remain grateful to the PDP for the opportunities it afforded me to serve, lead, and grow, and I deeply cherish the relationships built over the years.

“I now turn to new possibilities, with firm belief that Nigeria deserves better,” he stated.