THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been struggling to stay relevant in Nigerian politics following significant challenges confronting the party.
The internal discord has fractured the party’s leadership and raised questions about its future viability.
Genesis of the current crisis
The PDP’s leadership void and indecisiveness have deepened internal divisions within the party, which once claimed to be Africa’s largest. Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum’s perceived loyalty to certain party members and failure to address internal grievances have deepened factionalism.
The current issues within the PDP, a party that ruled the country for 16 years, started from its 2023 presidential primaries. At the controversial primaries in 2022, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike clashed, a situation that set the stage for a prolonged discord.
Source: Vanguard Newspaper
Wike’s discontent with Atiku’s candidacy has persisted, splitting the national leadership into factions.
After losing the party’s presidential ticket to Atiku in 2022, Wike, who was then governor of Rivers, in conjunction with 4 other sitting governors—Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State—formed the G5, a group that openly worked against the PDP and turned against the party’s presidential candidate.
The rebellion weakened the PDP’s chances in the 2023 elections.
The PDP candidate in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku, came second behind Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
After his swearing-in as president, Tinubu appointed Wike as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) despite Wike’s membership of an opposition party. That action further threw the PDP into crisis, with Wike openly endorsing Tinubu for the next election in 2027.
Loss of members to the APC
The crisis got even worse with the main opposition party suffering a wave of defections, with key members jumping ship to the APC or other parties.
In recent months, the PDP has faced significant losses, including the defection of Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State and Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta.
The party has also lost several other key members, and its situation has become dire, with some top leaders considering joining a coalition to confront the ruling APC in 2027.
This exodus is fueled by perceptions that the PDP is a sinking ship, plagued by internal squabbles and unable to present a viable alternative to the APC in 2027.
The struggle continues
In another heartache, the PDP‘s attempt to hold its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting has been postponed repeatedly, making it impossible for the party to take any key decision.
The crisis has resulted in the frequent postponement of the party’s NEC meeting.
The NEC meeting was postponed several times recently due to irreconcilable differences on who is the party’s substantive national secretary. Between Ude Okoye and Sam Anyanwu. A matter that a Supreme Court judgement was not able to settle.
After a lot of struggle and in consultation with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the party finally fixed Monday, June 30, for its 100th NEC meeting, but the day came with its drama.
The recent problem started when the Acting National Chairman of the party, Damagun, announced the postponement of the NEC meeting planned for Monday, June 30, but the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP insisted that the meeting would proceed as scheduled.
PDP’s NEC held affirms Sam Anyanwu as party’s national secretary
When the NEC of the PDP finally met on Monday, June 30, it reached a consensus, allowing Sam Anyanwu to continue as National Secretary of the party.
The decision was announced by the acting chairman of the party, Damagun, after the 100th NEC meeting of the party in Abuja.
The party also agreed to hold another NEC meeting in July. It also directed Anyanwu to forward a letter to INEC informing the electoral body about the proposed meeting.
Those in attendance at the meeting are the chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Adolphus Wabara; chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed; Governors Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), and Douye Diri of Bayelsa State.
Others include former Senate President Bukola Saraki, Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro, and Senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson.
Shortly after the party’s NEC meeting, a group of concerned PDP leaders met at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, decrying the party’s decline and urging a national coalition to rescue Nigeria.
They criticised the party’s internal decay and the country’s deteriorating state under the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration and sought an alternative party.
David Mark officially resigns from PDP, leads opposition coalition
In another significant setback for the PDP, former Senate President David Mark officially resigned from the party, dealing a blow to its reconciliation progress.
He cited worsening internal divisions and unresolved leadership crises in the PDP for his resignation.
In his resignation letter, Mark highlighted deep-seated internal issues that have diminished the party’s stature.
Here Comes the coalition
To further make the PDP crisis worse, The ICIR reported that Mark and ex-Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola emerged as the interim chairman and secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Recall that as part of its strategies to dislodge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections, leading opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 poll, Peter Obi, former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, and Nasir El-Rufai, launched a coalition in Abuja on March 20.
After months of speculation over which platform the coalition would pursue its agenda, the ADC now appears as a key opposition party that will challenge President Bola Tinubu’s APC in the 2027 elections.
According to a former spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kola Ologbodiyan, who was present at a meeting of some PDP leaders that met with Abubakar on Tuesday in Abuja, the coalition unanimously agreed to adopt ADC as their new political platform.
They also endorsed Mark and Aregbesola to lead the party. El-Rufai also confirmed the decision in a post on his X handle.
Media reports also suggested that a former sports minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, was picked as the interim National Publicity Secretary of the ADC.
The new leaders were unveiled in Abuja on Wednesday, July 2.
The adoption of the ADC by some former leaders of the PDP and its emergence in the 2027 political landscape have further complicated the PDP’s situation.
It remains to be seen whether the PDP’s reconciliation efforts will succeed, given the APC’s growing influence and the recent emergence of a new coalition.
A reporter with the ICIR
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