Former senator and vocal politician, Dino Melaye, has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is no longer a viable opposition party but rather “a department” under the control of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The statement has triggered renewed conversations about the state of opposition politics in Nigeria and the future of democracy.
Melaye Says PDP Has Been Bought by APC
Speaking during an interview on Politics Today on Channels Television, Dino Melaye did not mince words in describing the condition of his former party. According to him, “PDP has been purchased by APC. PDP is a parastatal of the APC. PDP is a department of the APC.” He added that the APC controls internal PDP decisions: “In fact, they take dates for NEC meetings and dates for when to have NWC from the [Presidential] Villa.”
Melaye, who recently defected from the PDP to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), alleged that the PDP had become a shadow of itself due to internal compromise and deliberate weakening by the APC.
Opposition Governors Acting Like Loyalists—Melaye
He questioned the credibility of the few PDP governors remaining, describing them as puppets. “Just look at the number of governors in the PDP today. Are these governors acting like opposition governors? Are they playing opposition roles as governors?” he asked rhetorically.
Melaye alleged that these governors are only holding the party for the APC, indirectly suggesting collusion. “Those who are remaining in the PDP are holding fort for the APC,” he said.
A Blow to the Opposition Structure
The declaration that PDP is now a department of APC, coming from someone who once aspired to become a presidential candidate under the PDP, is not just controversial—it speaks volumes about Nigeria’s dwindling political ideology and weakening party loyalty.
Political watchers say Melaye’s statement is an indictment of both parties. If true, it confirms fears that Nigeria’s two major parties are more alike than different, trading candidates and ideologies with reckless abandon.
PDP Is Now a Department of APC
Melaye’s blunt verdict that “PDP is now a department of APC” reinforces the argument that Nigeria’s political opposition is in disarray. For a democracy to thrive, the opposition must be strong, strategic, and independent, but Melaye’s claims suggest otherwise.
Whether or not Melaye’s new party, the ADC, can rise to the challenge remains to be seen. But his parting shot has left a harsh label stuck on the PDP: that the former ruling party is now nothing more than an annex of the APC.
