The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is in free fall, and unless it swiftly confronts its deep-seated internal strife, it may have no one but itself to blame for a complete political implosion ahead of the 2027 election. Once Africa’s so-called largest political party, the PDP is now a fractured shell of its former self, plagued by infighting, defections, and an inability to present a united front against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
From Power to Irrelevance
Since losing power at the center in 2015, the PDP has stumbled from one crisis to another, failing spectacularly to regain its footing. Once a dominant force in Nigerian politics, it now struggles to remain relevant, with many observers arguing that the Labour Party has overtaken it as the leading opposition to the APC.
Following its dismal performance in the 2023 general election, where it was left with control of only 13 states, the party suffered further humiliation in the 2024 off-season elections. It lost Edo State to the APC and failed to wrest Ondo from its grip, despite the political instability caused by the death of former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
Betrayed from Within
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, once an insider, has openly described the PDP as a party being “destroyed by internal mercenaries.” He warned that if Nigeria’s opposition parties, with the PDP at the forefront, fail to unite, the country could see the military creeping back into governance.
But warnings from outside voices seem to fall on deaf ears. The PDP is not just under siege from rivals, it is actively tearing itself apart from within. The latest high-profile defection of Senator Ned Nwoko, a long-time party member, points largely to the growing fragmentation. Nwoko, who had been a dedicated member of the PDP since 1999 and a dominant figure in Nigerian politics for over two decades now, blamed the deep divisions in the party at both state and national levels for his decision. Nwoko said his decision to resign crystalized after witnessing shocking violence among top PDP functionaries during a public altercation on January 29.
“The divisions have made it impossible to unite and pursue the collective interests of our people,” he said, lamenting that the party’s internal chaos had rendered him incapable of delivering on his electoral promises.
A Party at War with Itself
The crisis within the PDP is not just about defections, it is about the party’s very survival. Even senior figures within the PDP, like Chief Olabode George, acknowledge that the party is heading for disaster in 2027.
“We’ve found ourselves in this situation due to a self-inflicted crisis,” he admitted, urging party members to put aside their personal ambitions before the PDP crumbles entirely.
But such calls for unity seem hollow when the party leadership itself has failed to enforce discipline. George decried the recent violent disruption of the PDP Board of Trustees meeting in Abuja, where thugs were allegedly hired to storm the premises.
“If that could happen, then what do you think those who sponsored the thugs will do during National Working Committee and National Executive Committee meetings?” he asked, warning that the party is being hijacked by “belligerent” elements who must either repent or be expelled.
A Party of Defections and Decline
The PDP’s internal turmoil has triggered an exodus. Since 2023, the party has suffered mass defections, with thousands of members, both prominent and grassroots fleeing to the APC. What was once a formidable political machine is now a disoriented, leaderless mess, leaving many to question whether it can ever recover.
Will the PDP find a way to unite and reclaim its former strength, or will it continue its downward spiral into irrelevance? Can it withstand the ambitions of its own members, or is this the final chapter of a once-mighty political force?
With the 2027 election approaching, the party must provide an answer to the people, reviving itself from this self-inflicted mess. One thing is clear: unless the PDP drastically changes course, it is on the path to political extinction.
