PDP On Life Support: Why Nigeria’s Once-Dominant Party May Get Carried Out On a Stretcher In 2027

There was a time in Nigeria’s political history when the mention of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) evoked images of power, structure, and intimidating electoral machinery. For over a decade, the party defined the country’s democratic identity. But fast-forward to 2024, and the PDP seems like a bloated shadow of its former self — fragmented, confused, and increasingly comical in its attempts to stay relevant.

Professor Okey Ikechukwu’s Diagnosis? Terminal Decline

In an eye-opening interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, policy analyst and public affairs commentator Professor Okey Ikechukwu didn’t hold back: “The PDP today is not even contesting elections — it’s just showing up to get beaten and carried out on a stretcher.”

A harsh metaphor, no doubt. But is he wrong?

Let’s unpack it.

A Legacy Squandered

During the Obasanjo era, PDP was a political fortress. With seasoned strategists like Atiku Abubakar and Audu Ogbeh steering the ship, the party ran multi-pronged campaign structures and managed internal dynamics with near-military precision. By 2003, it was fielding three different campaign teams across the country, proving its capacity for wide-scale coordination.

Today, however, Professor Ikechukwu describes the party as a “whimpering collection of confounded men and women pretending to have a political party.” Ouch.

The PDP’s internal narrative has become one of dysfunction and drama — quarrels, press releases, and finger-pointing, instead of coalition-building, governance alternatives, or voter engagement. In a world where image and perception matter almost as much as action, PDP’s optics scream: “We don’t have our act together.”

A Failing Opposition — At the Worst Time

Being in opposition isn’t just about throwing stones at the ruling party. It’s about presenting a credible alternative — a reason for Nigerians to believe that change is not only possible, but preferable. Sadly, the PDP seems to have failed at both.

The electorate, already wearied by economic hardship, security concerns, and policy inconsistencies, is yearning for competent leadership. But PDP, rather than positioning itself as a viable Plan B, appears to be locked in a permanent identity crisis.

Professor Ikechukwu puts it succinctly: “What makes the PDP attractive today?” The honest answer, from both politicians and voters alike, may be: Nothing.

The Wike Dilemma: Asset or Anarchy?

Enter Nyesom Wike, the former governor of Rivers State and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory under an APC-led government — while still technically a PDP member. Wike is a one-man political hurricane, simultaneously feared and admired.

And this is where it gets embarrassing for the PDP. The party has neither disciplined him for his blatant anti-party activities nor removed him from its ranks. Instead, it continues to enable a man who, in Ikechukwu’s words, is “doing 160km per hour on both political lanes, with no one directing traffic.”

Love him or hate him, Wike plays politics like chess, and he plays to win. The real issue isn’t Wike himself — it’s the PDP’s total inability to manage or contain him. That, more than anything, reveals the depth of its organizational rot.

2027: A Wake-Up Call or a Funeral Procession?

If elections are a test of vision, preparation, and coordination, then the PDP — in its current state — will flunk 2027. Prof. Ikechukwu’s assertion that the party will “participate but not contest” is not a contradiction, but a cold truth.

Participation without preparation is performance. And right now, the PDP is more concerned with internal wars than with winning national battles.

Unless a dramatic reconfiguration takes place — and soon — the PDP will likely be remembered not as Nigeria’s great opposition party, but as a cautionary tale of wasted potential.

Final Thoughts: What the PDP Must Do to Survive

To turn things around, PDP must:

• Resolve its internal leadership crisis and rebuild trust among its factions.

• Reclaim control over members like Wike, or let them go officially.

• Craft a compelling political narrative that addresses the real pains of Nigerians.

• Recruit new, credible faces and distance itself from legacy baggage.

• Invest in grassroots structures, not just headline-grabbing press conferences.

2027 is not far off. The question is: will PDP show up with a plan — or be carried out on a stretcher, as Ikechukwu predicted?

The clock is ticking.