The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that those who once accused him of betraying the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are now defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) — a development he says vindicates his political foresight and confirms the imminent collapse of the PDP.
Speaking on Wednesday during the flag-off ceremony for the construction of the Outer Southern Expressway in Abuja, Wike said the mass exodus of PDP governors and key figures to the ruling APC is proof that the opposition has lost direction and influence.
“I have been watching on television and social media, people who said I wanted to destabilize the party and was working for the APC. All of them are now in the APC,” Wike said.
“So if it is true that I was working for the APC, they should commend me for leading them to where they now belong. I have done a good job for them.”
The former Rivers State governor, who led the G-5 bloc of PDP governors that rebelled against the party’s leadership before the 2023 elections, said those who once called him names are now reaping the consequences of ignoring his calls for fairness, equity, and justice.
“When we spoke about fairness, equity, and justice, they called us names. Today, everyone can see where the party is heading. You can’t build a house on deceit and expect it to stand,” Wike added.
Defections Deepen PDP Crisis
In the past few weeks, the PDP has suffered a wave of high-profile defections. Governors Peter Mbah of Enugu State, Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, and several senior stakeholders have crossed over to the APC, citing the need to align with the federal government for development purposes.
Political observers say the development underscores the PDP’s internal collapse and its inability to sustain loyalty among members. Once the dominant party in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, the PDP now struggles to maintain relevance across key states.
Dr. Emmanuel Ojo, a political analyst at the University of Ibadan, said the PDP’s woes stem from poor leadership and an absence of ideology.
“The PDP is suffering from what can best be described as political exhaustion,” he said. “There’s no direction, no clear leadership, and no ideological consistency.”
Rivers State: APC’s New Stronghold
Within the South-South, particularly Rivers State, political momentum has shifted decisively toward the APC — a change driven largely by Wike’s growing influence and the disintegration of the PDP structure in the state.
Party insiders and local observers believe that with the PDP fractured and key stakeholders now aligning with the federal government, the APC faces virtually no serious challenge in Rivers ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to a top political source in Port Harcourt, “Rivers will be a walkover for the APC. The PDP’s internal divisions and defections have completely weakened its base. There’s no strong opposition structure left.”
The once politically fierce Rivers landscape, which often determined national power equations, now appears firmly under APC’s control, consolidating the ruling party’s influence in the South-South region for the first time in decades.
Editorial Opinion: PDP Heading for Collapse
The ongoing crisis within the PDP represents more than a routine political dispute — it is the symptom of a deeper institutional decay that could lead to the total collapse of the party.
Wike’s remarks, though politically charged, highlight a truth that can no longer be denied: the PDP has lost cohesion, credibility, and direction. The defections of sitting governors and influential figures are not isolated incidents but signs of a broader collapse of confidence in the party’s leadership.
The PDP, once proud of its claim as “Africa’s largest political party,” has failed to evolve or reform since losing power in 2015. Its inability to manage internal disputes, coupled with regional power struggles, has reduced it to a fragmented opposition without a clear path forward.
If urgent reforms are not undertaken — including leadership restructuring, reconciliation, and ideological renewal — the PDP may soon fade into political irrelevance.
A vibrant democracy depends on a strong opposition to hold the ruling party accountable. The gradual implosion of the PDP is therefore not merely a partisan issue but a national concern. A one-party political environment risks breeding complacency and weakening democratic checks and balances.
As it stands, with Rivers State now tilting firmly toward the APC and defections spreading across other PDP strongholds, the party’s future looks bleak. Unless it acts swiftly and decisively, history may remember the PDP as the once-great party that collapsed under the weight of its own contradictions.
© Newsday Publications — Reported by Chief Edet Isong, Publisher