Gbenga Adeosun
Since the return of democracy to Nigeria in 1999; the nation has enjoyed uninterrupted civilian governance and political administration.
The challenges encountered and growth recorded viz-a-viz our multi-party political system have contributed immensely to ensuring the sustenance, stability, and consolidation of democracy in the country. When civilian rule returned 26 years ago, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) emerged as the dominant force in Nigeria’s political landscape; winning the presidential election against the opponent who ran on a joint platform of two political parties namely: Alliance for Democracy (AD) and All People’s Party (APP).
The PDP similarly won a majority of the state and legislative positions in that particular election; positioning it as the leading star in Nigerian politics. Up until 2013, there were only a few feeble regional oppositions from parties such as Alliance for Democracy (AD), All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Labour Party (LP), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and some others who tried hard but were unable to achieve appreciable national influence as the PDP was largely unmatched by any other party in size, reach, capacity, financial weight, influence and popularity.
The party basked endlessly in the euphoria of the enviable position it occupies at the top of the food chain as it won four Presidential elections in a row (1999, 2003, 2007, 2011); it similarly won a majority of the states and national assembly seats; with an emphatic landslide in most of the elections. At a particular period within this domineering epoch, the chairman of the party Vincent Ogbulafor assumed the role of a Seer and prophesied that the PDP would dominate at the top for the next 60 years.
That prediction which was made in 2008 proved to be mere wishes seven years later in 2015 as the PDP colossus collapsed historically when the All Progressives Congress (APC); a behemoth coalition of major opposition parties dethroned the PDP as the apex political party; clinching the Presidency and majority seats in the national assembly.
Since the PDP found itself in the unfamiliar terrain of an opposition party in 2015; it has undergone a series of soul-searching and introspective realignments aimed at re-establishing it as the top political party in the country.
The fallout of the 2015 elections included blame-games and scapegoating one another for that historic loss; the party pulled apart and leadership tussles emerged.
The chairman that led the PDP to loss at the polls, Adamu Mu’azu had to bow out; and tumult within the party led to the emergence of a former Governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff as Chairman; his tenure was highly tempestuous, heralding a wave of intra-party hostilities which almost decimated the party irreparably.
The courts were involved to save the soul of the party in the nick of time and a former Governor of Kaduna State Ahmed Makarfi emerged to steady the ship temporarily while the party sought a substantive Chairman through a national convention.
The convention led to the emergence of Prince Uche Secondus who managed to unite the party, attracted former defectors who abandoned the party in the wake of its endless internal crises, and led the party to a fairly impressive performance in the 2019 elections which though ended in defeat at the presidential election, showed that all hope was not lost for the party in a pursuit of its former glory.
Zoning Controversies and Regional Discontent: One Step Forward, Two Steps Backward for PDP
Iyorchia Ayu emerged in 2021 to replace Uche Secondus as National Chairman and as the 2023 elections drew nearer; simmers of division began to re-appear once again regarding the zoning formula when Atiku Abubakar who was also from the North clinched the party’s presidential ticket. Aggrieved party members called for Ayu Iyorchia who was from Benue (North Central) to make way for a Southerner as Chairman but he refused. This led to major cracks of displeasure as Rivers State Governor at that time; Nyesom Wike; became the arrowhead of the anti-Ayu movement and staged an internal rebellion that got four other PDP governors to his side (Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi- Enugu, Okezie Ikpeazu-Abia, Samuel Ortom-Benue and Seyi Makinde -Oyo) creating the infamous “G5 group”.
The group eventually turned against the PDP and its flagbearer; rallying the public against it and working for Atiku’s defeat in the 2023 presidential elections which the ruling APC eventually won. Analysts have described the divisions in the PDP as the decisive factor that handed APC the prize in the 2023 presidential polls.
Peter Obi who was a former PDP governor and erstwhile political associate of Atiku had left the party to join ranks with the Labour Party to contest for President while another former PDP bigwig, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso similarly defected to New Nigeria’s People Party to run for the top seat. It is instructive that these three contestants gathered more votes cumulatively than the eventual winner.In the aftermath of the 2023 defeat; the PDP finally effected changes through its National Working Committee as it appointed its Deputy National Chairman, Umar Damagum (North), the acting national chairman.
Damagum took over from Iyorchia Ayu, who was barred by a Benue Court from parading himself as the party’s national chairman but held onto the position notwithstanding until after the elections.With the PDP’s latest defeat, Wike became more emboldened and was rewarded by the victorious President Bola Tinubu with a Ministerial slot for Rivers State. Wike has since become a key cabinet member in an APC government while still parading himself as a PDP member with the beleaguered party unable to do anything about this.
The party was unable to get a substantive Chairman and the internal crisis deepened with regards to the legitimacy of Damagum’s leadership and his expired NWC; further deepening PDP’s woes, exposing weaknesses in its unity and political strategy. The party’s internal discord has translated into poor electoral performances. The party is regressing due to a shrinking voter base and dissatisfaction within its ranks evidenced by its abysmal performance in the recent off-cycle governorship polls in Ondo and Edo states.
The loss of solid footing in states such as Rivers and Benue, where it once held strongholds, further signals a decline in grassroots support.
The PDP’s failure to adhere to its traditional zoning formula—an arrangement meant to balance power between Nigeria’s North and South—has fueled growing discontent. Many party members in the South felt betrayed when Atiku Abubakar, a Northerner, emerged as the party’s candidate instead of a Southern contender. This decision widened internal cracks and contributed to defections and political maneuvering that weakened PDP’s prospects and performance.
Rebuilding PDP as a formidable Opposition Party
The PDP has recently been re-strategizing for better performance in the hope of becoming a united and leading party once again even as the underlying issues that have bedevilled the party since 2015 linger unabated.
As part of these efforts, Governors under the platform of the Party gathered on 31st January 2025 for a closed-door meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital. In attendance were Senator Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) – Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum; Sir Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers) Vice Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum; Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori (Host Governor, Delta); Pastor Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom); Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa); Sen. Diri Douye (Bayelsa); Dr. Peter Mbah (Enugu); Sen. Ademola Adeleke (Osun); Barr. Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau); Dr. Agbu Kefas (Taraba State); Dr. Dauda Lawal (Zamfara) and Bayo Lawal (Oyo) – Deputy Governor and Acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagun.
The governors brainstormed on the crisis rocking the party with a call on the National Working Committee (NWC) to convoke a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to be held on 18th March 2025. Rising from the meeting; the Forum’s Chairman, Governor Bala Mohammed said, “The Forum noted with delight the ongoing efforts at resolving the crisis in the National Working Committee, NWC, on the position of the National Secretary, and has reaffirmed its support for the Court of Appeal judgment.
Consequently, the Forum advised the NWC to set up the machinery for the effective implementation of the court judgment. The Forum, having examined all the notices required by law to be given to validly convoke NEC, advised NWC to reschedule NEC to the thirteenth of March, 2025.”
The forum commended the Governors of member states for pursuing policies and programmes that had not only ameliorated the plight of the people but were also aimed at creating the foundation for sustainable development in their various states.
The PDP Governors commended the country’s valiant and patriotic Armed Forces and other security agencies for maintaining the frontline in securing the country against bandits in parts of the country.
Finally, the Forum expressed firm assurance that the PDP remained committed to returning to its flying pre-2015 era of political ascendancy.
After the meeting, however; a member of the National Executive Committee of the Party, Hon Umar Abdullahi, berated the party’s Governors Forum for allegedly acting in a manner capable of exacerbating the crisis over the position of National Secretary.
The PDP Governors had thrown their weight behind Hon. Sunday Ude-Okoye, one of the claimants for the position. They based their decision on the judgments of an Enugu State High Court which was upheld by a Court of Appeal.However, the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who claims to have a stay of execution order from an Abuja Appeal Court, insists he remains the bonafide occupant of the office. While reacting to the development, Abdullahi faulted the party’s governors describing the statement contained in their Communique as “inflammatory.”
According to him, the Board of Trustees resolved in their last meeting on 29th January 2025, to set up a committee to look into the matter and advise the Party appropriately but two days later the Governors issued a counter statement in their communique recognizing Ude Okoye as National Secretary.
On 5th February 2025, the Party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) met as part of efforts to address the lingering leadership crisis rocking the party. They convened at Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja chaired by the Chairman, Adolphus Wabara. Discussions were expected to revolve around the multiple court judgments affecting the dispute over the position of the National Secretary. Those present included the Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara; Secretary of the BoT, Senator Ahmed Makarfi; and former Governors Achike Udenwa, Sam Egwu, Babangida Aliyu, Senator Ben Obi, and Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola, among others.
Those at the meeting were also expected to deliberate on how to move the party forward despite its internal challenges.Wabara, in his opening remarks at the meeting, said that despite the challenges PDP had encountered, it remained a party of choice for Nigerians. He vowed that the meeting would look into the legal battles between Sen. Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Udey-Okye, both of whom are laying claim to the office of the National Secretary of the party. He also said that the board members would be receiving a report from the Taminu Turaki-led committee, which was set up during the last BoT meeting to examine the matter.
After considering the report of the committee, the BoT adopted the recommendation recognizing Hon. Sunday Udeh-Okoye as the substantive National Secretary which aligns with a declaratory judgment by the High Court of Enugu, which was upheld by the Court of Appeal.
The BoT instructed the NWC to immediately swear in Hon. Udeh-Okoye in compliance with the court judgment.Wabara commended the PDP Governors’ Forum for its concerted efforts at setting March 13 for the much-anticipated National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party. While urging members to attend the NEC meeting with an open mind, he described it as a platform for critical deliberations that would shape the future of PDP and by extension, Nigeria.
In a swift response that further highlights the deep fissures and frictions within the party; Senator Samuel Anyanwu, one of the contenders for the position of National Secretary of the Party, dismissed the directive from the BoT and the Party’s Governors forum for the NWC to swear in his rival, Sunday Ude-Okoye. Anyanwu criticized the directive, citing the ongoing court case and the expiration of the tenures of about 80% of the BoT members who attended the meeting at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja. He also pointed out that he was not invited to the meeting, nor was the National Chairman, who is also a member of the BoT.
Anyanwu stated, “I’m a member of the BoT, I was not invited to the meeting, and neither was the National Chairman. This shows a lot. In any case, the tenure of about 80% of those at the meeting expired in October last year. They are also aware that this matter is in court.
Even Chairman Wabara, who was taken to court, sent a representative. Their advice cannot be taken seriously.” It is also worth noting that Senator Anyanwu, the PDP candidate in the 2023 governorship election in Imo state, had previously held onto his position as National Secretary.
However, PDP stakeholders in the South East, in a meeting in Enugu, resolved to nominate Ude-Okoye as his replacement, arguing that the position belonged to the zone.Despite these internal crises, the PDP remains Nigeria’s most viable opposition as it has the highest number of prominent elective officeholders after the ruling APC. All hope is not lost for the party and it still has a decent chance to regroup if it can address its perennial leadership struggles, mend festering regional divisions, stop intra-party lawsuits and defamations, and present a compelling vision for Nigeria’s future.
The party must find a way to reconcile its warring factions, re-integrate former members who have left its camp, rebuild trust among members, present itself as a serious party to the electorate, and reestablish itself as a formidable opposition force. With the next election cycle on the horizon, PDP’s survival will depend on its ability to navigate its internal wars and emerge stronger.
A coalition with other smaller opposition parties will also strengthen its position and set it on a solid footing heading to the next political era.The potential success or otherwise of the National Executive Committee meeting slated for March 2025 and related activities in the coming months will determine whether the party can reclaim its place in the nation’s political arena.
