Tag: the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

Ohaneze sub group: Igbo must not be taken for granted • Middle Belt group wants presidency for the region

It’s barely a week now when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held its National Convention where it zoned the 2027 presidential sloth to the South.

That decision seemed to have reawakened politicians from various regions of the country, some of whom are now clamour I for regional recognition.

Agitation seems to support those who say that rotation should not be decreed by Fiat but a gentleman’s understanding by parties.

By this they say that nobody from any region should be disqualified from contesting the primary because he is not from the preferred zone.

For instance, APC has said said that any aspirant is free to contest the primary with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu despite the endorsements he has already secured.

The PDP in 2019 and 2003 allowed aspirants from all parts of the country to contest its presidential primaries.

At the moment, protests over zoning from the various regions of the federation are already doting the country’s political landscape.

Members of the Igbo Agenda Dialogue are one example that are raising the recent clamour.

Convened by the founding father of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chekwas Okorie, the group is calling for regional recognition ahead of 2027 general elections.

Okorie who said the group noted that there has been no united political Igbo front since the end of civil war in 1970, added that any nation or persons seeking for Igbo votes must enter into a binding agreement through a Memorandum of Understanding and such agreement must be made public via verified platforms.

“On political unity bad self assertion, the gathering noted with concern the absence of unified Igbo front since the end of the Nigerian civil war in 1970.

“It condemns the alienation and marginalization of Ndigbo political space and resolved that such trend must not longer continue.

“The dialogue emphasized that Igbo votes must never again be taken for granted.

“Any candidate or political party seeking Igbo support must enter into binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) within Igbo nations and such agreement must be made public through verified platforms.”

Also, members of the North-Central Renaince are also agitating for the recognition of their zone as the general elections approach.

They are asserting that it is their right to occupy the president’s office, claiming that since the fourth Republic in 1999 has been sidelined.

According to them, since the return to civil rule, the region has not had the opportunity to occupy that office.

They said that any political party which is not willing to zone the presidential ticket to the North, particularly, North-Central zone won’t get their support.

Any political party not willing to zone its presidential ticket to the North, particularly, North-Central may not, and will not have the votes of the North Central.

Similarly, leaders of the Gbenga Hashim Solidarity Movement (GHSM) in the South West have declared their unwavering support for the presidential aspiration of frontline ideological politician, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, vowing to resist what they described as the “unconstitutional zoning error” of the presidency by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The resolution was reached at the weekend during a strategic meeting of GHSM leaders, which comprise of mostly PDP leaders from the South West, held in Lagos with delegates in attendance from Osun, Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo, Ogun, and Lagos States.

Addressing journalists after the meeting, the South West Coordinator of GHSM, Alhaji Abass Olaniyi from Osun state, said Nigerians must rally behind leaders whose politics is built on competence, inclusiveness, and national development, rather than sectional considerations.

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 “We want to make it very clear that the South West will not sit idly by while regressive forces within the PDP try to truncate the aspiration of a visionary leader like Dr. Gbenga Hashim through unconstitutional zoning.

Nigerians are ready for a truly ideological presidency, not the politics of ethnicity and sectional manipulation,” Olaniyi declared.

He stressed that the South West is resolute in its decision to deliver the region’s votes to ensure Hashim emerges victorious in 2027, describing him as the most prepared among the potential candidates.

The Lagos State coordinator, Hon Ola Azeez said that, despite having a Lagosian as president of Nigeria, the masses of Nigeria are suffering like never before and we are ready to support a leader with a detribalized orientation who is competent.

Other leaders at the meeting emphasized that Dr. Hashim represents a new paradigm of leadership, combining experience in both the private and public sectors with a strong record of advocacy for democracy, social justice, and economic reforms.

They argued that Nigeria’s current challenges, including insecurity, economic downturn, unemployment, and national disunity, demand a president who possesses both intellectual grounding and moral conviction to steer the country toward sustainable progress.

The GHSM leaders recalled Hashim’s long standing involvement in Nigeria’s democratic struggle, his consistent calls for issue based politics, and his refusal to engage in the politics of patronage that has weakened many of his contemporaries.

Following deliberations, the South West bloc of GHSM resolved to intensify grassroots mobilization, enlightenment campaigns, and alliance building across the country to strengthen Hashim’s candidacy well ahead of the 2027 elections.

 “Nigeria cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past. What the country needs now is not zoning, but competence. Dr. Hashim has the ideology, the character, and the vision to lead Nigeria into a new era of stability, prosperity, and unity,” Alhaji Abass reaffirmed.

 The South West leaders further pledged to resist attempts within the PDP to enforce zoning, insisting that such arrangements lack constitutional backing and undermine the democratic rights of all citizens to aspire to the presidency and a violation of section 84 of the Electoral Act.

The meeting concluded with a unanimous declaration that the South West will serve as the vanguard of a nationwide movement to secure Gbenga Hashim’s victory in the 2027 general elections.

Against the backdrop some analysts say that the renewed agitation is not out of place.

Jacob Okparabachi said: “Agitations for zoning should be coming on closer to the electioneering season. That will be understandable.

“Nigeria should have advanced beyond the growing agitations for power shift, if things were done right.

“It is proper that we borrow from the American system we are copying. That system allows people to contest based on competence.

To Solomon Adodo: “We should perish all these agitations for zoning. We should all be patriotic to see Nigeria work, where we have development that carries everyone along and that takes our rural communities away from where they are and make them productivity hops.

“That should be the conversation we should be engaging in now.

“It should not be about distracting government or distorting governance at this moment.

Nigeria’s next general elections is eighteen months away. And as politicians begin their politicking, many citizens wish that true interest of the nation rather personal and selfish interest will guide their decision.

By Ntakobong Otongaran

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), once the mighty tree whose shade sheltered much of the nation’s political landscape, now groans under strain. Torn by ambition, rebellion, and betrayal, the PDP echoes Umuofia’s unraveling. Its yam barns, once full and fortified, now echo with emptiness.

On April 23, the party suffered a rupture of historic proportions: the defection of the entire Delta State PDP structure—including Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor Ifeanyi Okowa, commissioners, local government chairmen, and party executives—to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The announcement, made after a tense six-hour meeting in Asaba, marked the end of a 26-year hold on the oil-rich state and sent tremors through the PDP’s national hierarchy. But even more jarring was what proceeded it: the bitter fallout over Atiku Abubakar’s failed merger talks with opposition figures, a desperate move seen by many as the last grasp of a general long abandoned by his troops.

Atiku’s lonely crusade

Like Okonkwo, Atiku Abubakar is a man of pride and mission. A perennial standard-bearer, his drive to become president seems etched into his very bones. Yet, as Achebe warned, “when a man is at the top, he should not forget that the ground is slippery.” Atiku’s insistence on leading the PDP’s charge in 2023, ignoring Nigeria’s north-south rotational principle, fractured the party’s foundation. His ambition, once a beacon for party faithful, has become a burden.

In a bid to salvage both his legacy and the PDP’s sinking ship, Atiku reportedly initiated merger talks with leaders from the Labour Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party, and other opposition blocs. But instead of galvanizing the base, the talks drew fierce backlash from within. Several PDP governors—including those from states still holding the line—openly criticized the initiative. “How can we build our house with strange materials when our own walls are cracking?” asked governor Makinde of Oyo state. They saw the talks as a self-serving maneuver designed to position Atiku as the ultimate unifier, even if it meant burning the very bridge he stood on.

The opposition from the governors was swift and biting. Atiku, in a moment of unusual candor, lashed out at party leaders for failing to defend the PDP from what he called orchestrated raids by the APC. In an interview following the Delta defection, he warned of “political wolves” devouring the PDP, lamenting that the party had become “a beautiful bride left alone at the altar. Yet, his critics within the party argue that he invited the wolves by overstaying his welcome.

A Dagger from the South: Delta’s fall

The defection of Governor Oborevwori and former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa—Atiku’s running mate in 2023—was not just a betrayal; it was a political earthquake. Once considered a bastion of PDP strength, Delta’s collapse signifies a deeper rot. The fact that this blow came from Okowa, who failed to deliver Delta in the 2023 presidential elections despite being on the ballot, exposes the fragile loyalties at play.

The mass exodus not only weakened Atiku’s 2027 prospects—it gutted them. His response on X (formerly Twitter), cloaked in diplomacy, masked the humiliation. He spoke of “freedom of association” and “respect for democratic choices,” but the undercurrent of isolation was undeniable. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga’s retort was unrelenting: “A loser again. A leprous group that no serious ally will go near.”

Oborevwori, a loyal disciple of Okowa and the PDP’s future in the South-South, hailed Tinubu’s leadership as a factor in his decision to join the APC. The move emboldened rumors of a wider Southern exodus. Akwa Ibom’s Governor Umo Eno and Cross River’s Bassey Otu are whispered to be weighing their options. “This is not a ripple,” one party chieftain warned. “This is a wave, and we’re not swimming—we’re drowning.”

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Wike’s reckoning: The serpent’s dance

Enter Nyesom Wike, the ever-strategic minister of the Federal Capital Territory. If Atiku is the prideful Okonkwo, then Wike is Obierika with a dagger under his robes. His role in the PDP’s unraveling is both overt and cloaked in plausible deniability. As leader of the G-5 governors—a rebellion against Atiku’s 2023 candidacy—Wike has walked the PDP tightrope while flirting openly with the APC. His fingerprints are suspected in many of the defections, and his voice has not wavered.

Reacting to the Delta exodus, Wike praised the move, calling it “a signal of the growing appeal of Tinubu’s inclusive governance.” For many in the PDP, that statement was treason in a tailored suit. Yet Wike remains untouchable, his sway over the political landscape unshaken. Even as his feud with Governor Siminalayi Fubara deepens, his shadow continues to loom large over Rivers State’s political trajectory.

“The PDP is now a stage, and Wike is both director and actor,” said one party strategist who doesn’t want his name in print. “He wants to write the script for 2027, even if it means tearing up the current one.”

The APC’s opportunism:

Like the colonial District Commissioner at the end of Achebe’s novel, the APC has mastered the art of taking notes while the old world burns. With Delta now under its control, the APC inches closer to a full southern stronghold. Tinubu, long underestimated in opposition circles, now appears the chess master in a room full of checkers players.

Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo called the Delta defection “the beginning of the end for the PDP.” South-South APC Vice Chairman Victor Giadom welcomed the defectors with open arms, promising collaboration and political inclusivity. Each handshake, each photo-op, is a nail in the PDP’s coffin.

The Hollow Circle

The PDP’s elders, once towering voices of reason, now speak in murmurs. Iyorchia Ayu’s suspension as National Chairman remains a ghost in the party’s corridors. Acting Chairman Umar Damagum has responded with caretaker committees and vague declarations, but there’s little to show for it. His reaction to the Delta collapse—“sad and unfortunate”—echoed more like a mourner than a leader.

Senator Bukola Saraki’s call for “those who want to leave, to leave now” sounded less like a rallying cry and more like a resignation. The truth is, the PDP lacks a center, a compass, and perhaps even a future. Like Umuofia’s elders, the PDP’s leadership has failed to read the winds of change, let alone command them.

A Final Proverb: Will the Mask Dance Again?

Achebe once wrote, “The world is like a mask dancing. If you want to see it well, you do not stand in one place.” The PDP has stood too long in one place—on legacy, on pride, on old victories. It has refused to dance with the times, and now, the music may be ending.

Still, all is not lost. Atiku’s overtures to Obi and even Nasir El-Rufai, though poorly received, hint at a willingness to think beyond himself. Wike, for all his machinations, remains a political asset if reined in. Damagum, if he chooses to lead rather than react, could rally the base.

But time is scarce. More defections loom. More silence from the PDP will mean more triumph for the APC. Nigeria’s democracy demands an opposition that reflects the people’s pain, not one preoccupied with personal ambitions.

“When the center cannot hold,” Achebe warned, “things fall apart.” The PDP must decide whether to pick up the pieces—or become, like Okonkwo, a footnote in a story it once authored.