As the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party continues, findings by The PUNCH indicate that more than 300 party chieftains have left the main opposition party for the ruling All Progressives Congress and other parties in the last 12 months.
The aggrieved members who left the PDP between February 2024 and February 2025 all cited the crises at both the state and national levels as the reason for their defection.
The PDP has faced major schisms both before and after the 2023 general elections.
Since Umar Damagum assumed the role of acting National Chairman, he has been blamed for the party’s struggles.
Damagum replaced Iyorchia Ayu, the former National Chairman, who was removed by the court for failing to implement necessary reforms.
As a result, the party’s reputation has suffered, and its influence has waned.
For months, leaders and stakeholders from the North-Central Zone have been calling for the appointment of a substantive national chairman to conclude Ayu’s tenure and restore stability to the party.
Worse still, the leadership crisis has been further complicated by disputes over the national secretary position.
In 2023, the PDP’s South-East zone nominated former National Youth Leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye, to replace Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the national secretary, following Anyanwu’s selection as the party’s candidate for the Imo State governorship election.
The South-East PDP argued that Anyanwu should no longer hold the position due to his new role, which sparked further controversy.
On December 20, 2024, the Appeal Court in Enugu confirmed Ude-Okoye as the party secretary, and the ruling was officially communicated to the party leadership on December 24.
On January 8, the Court of Appeal in Abuja issued a restraining order, directing Anyanwu to remain as the secretary until the court rules on the motion for a stay of execution.
However, when the matter was scheduled for a hearing on January 27, it was not addressed.
As a result, on January 28, Anyanwu’s supporters forcibly removed Ude-Okoye from the PDP Board of Trustees meeting, prompting the intervention of the PDP governors.
On January 31, the governors, led by Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, endorsed the court’s decision in Asaba, Delta State, officially recognizing Ude-Okoye as the legitimate party secretary.
However, Anyanwu rejected this and petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Supreme Court, and Appeal Court, accusing the governors of worsening the crisis.
But on February 5, the BoT, led by former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, confirmed Ude-Okoye as the rightful national secretary after reviewing the case.
Following this, Damagum issued a memo on February 6 to the PDP National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade SAN, seeking guidance on whether to act on the Governors’ and BoT’s directive.
In a response exclusively obtained by The PUNCH, Ajibade affirmed Ude-Okoye as the national secretary.
He pointed out that both Ude-Okoye and Anyanwu had submitted to the BoT panel chaired by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, and should therefore respect the outcome.
On February 12, the National Working Committee similarly confirmed Ude-Okoye as the secretary.
Despite this, Anyanwu insisted he was the secretary.
However, the development has polarised the party’s National Working Committee, National Executive Council and BoT, including the state and zonal chapters.
Checks by our correspondent revealed that at least 66 party leaders have left the party in the North-West and 34 in the North-East.
In the North-Central, 47 members announced their defection to the APC, Labour Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party, and others.
The PUNCH’s investigation further showed about 48 chieftains in the South-West, 68 in the South-South, and 37 in the South-East switched to other parties.
Some of the prominent figures who left the PDP in the North include former Kaduna Governor, Mukhtar Yero, Senators Shehu Sani and Suleiman Hunkuyi, ex-House of Representatives member Kabiru Classic, current House member Suleiman Abubakar Gumi (representing the Koko/Besse/Mayama federal constituency), Salisu Garba, former Katsina State governor Ibrahim Shema, and former Sokoto State governor Attahiru Bafarawa, among others.
In the South, the key figures include former Senate President Pius Anyim, Senator Sylvanus Nguji Ngele, former federal lawmaker, Peter Ede, ex-Commissioner Abia Onyike, Ebonyi State House of Assembly member, Victor Nwoke and a former House of Representatives member, Sylvester Ogbaga.
Others include former Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha, governorship aspirants, Felix Akhabue and Dr Victoria Amu, Senator Sylvanus Ngele, and former Senate Committee Chairman on Anti-corruption and Financial Crimes, Senator Chukwuka Utazi.
In Abia State, defectors include Christian Nkwonta, House of Representatives member for Ukwa East/Ukwa West Federal Constituency and Chinedum Orji, while former Aviation Minister Osita Chidoka left the party in Anambra.
Other defectors include former Edo State deputy governor, Philip Shuaibu, former federal lawmaker for Ovia Federal Constituency, Omosede Igbinedion, a foundational PDP member Alh Shuaibu Oyedokun and a former local government scribe in Osun State, Alimi Surajudeen.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, attributed the defections to the APC rather than the internal crisis.
In an interview with The PUNCH on Monday, Ologunagba pointed out that all the political parties experienced crises and emphasized that the PDP Reconciliation Committee, headed by former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, is working hard to address party issues and prevent further defections.
“The APC is determined to eliminate all opposition parties and create a one-party state. This is why people are leaving not just the PDP, but other opposition parties as well. They are doing this through the use of federal apparatus.
“Again, we are taking action in this regard. Unless you choose to ignore it, just last week, the party’s reconciliation committee, headed by the former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, was in Enugu to ensure there are no challenges.
“Of course, there will always be challenges, but we have responded and are actively working. People are still with us, and a substantial majority of our members remain loyal.”
The PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, attributed the mass defections to poverty, accusing the APC of luring the former party leaders.
He stated, “The truth is that the APC-led Federal Government has weaponized poverty, insecurity, and more importantly, they have targeted opposition parties and placed them in a chokehold, causing some people to defect for survival.
“Remember, there is no party that has not been in crisis for some time. Even the APC is not all rosy. This means that even in paradise, there are problems; even in the so-called paradise, they have their own internal issues.
‘’The reason the situation in the PDP is more obvious is that it is a party that the entire country is talking about because it belongs to the people, not to godfathers and merchants.’’
Continuing, he noted, “The President Tinubu administration is doing everything it can to ensure that the APC remains the only party. They have mobilized resources and machinery to ensure there is no opposition in 2027.
‘’As a result, members who are not strong enough, not principled, or who couldn’t survive are joining them.”
A PDP NEC member and former deputy publicity secretary, Diran Odeyemi, warned that the party’s image would suffer if the crisis continues.
He urged the PDP leaders to come together and resolve the issue.
Odeyemi stated, “We must put our house in order. Some members left due to the ongoing crisis. Party leaders must come together to identify the issues and work on solutions.
“There is also a need to engage with the key influencers behind the crisis. These influencers are party leaders. The sooner the PDP addresses its challenges, the better it will be for the party’s future.”
Source:
punchng.com
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