The defections of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his deputy Sir Monday Onyeme, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, and several supporters from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) have sparked renewed concerns over Nigeria’s political future, with fears growing about the emergence of a one-party state.
In an interview with Vanguard, Senator Chris Ekpenyong, a founding father of the PDP and former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, said President Bola Tinubu has effectively “captured” the PDP, warning that it may be extremely difficult for the opposition party to recover.
“It means Tinubu has killed the PDP. I’m sure Akwa Ibom may follow soon,” Ekpenyong said. “Everybody wanted former Vice President Atiku to clearly state he wasn’t going to contest, but his persistence has forced people to make their own decisions. The party has been destroyed.”
Ekpenyong pointed to long-standing internal issues within the PDP, blaming the party’s decline on the decision to hand over too much control to state governors.
“The first mistake was giving the governors too much power. Obasanjo started it by seizing the party, and unfortunately, it became a survival tool for many politicians rather than a people-driven organization,” he explained.
According to Ekpenyong, many defectors are motivated not by ideology, but by a desire to protect themselves from prosecution.
“They know why they are defecting — mostly to shield themselves from the EFCC. The PDP was meant to be a mass movement, but it became a personal fortress,” he added.
Reflecting on the party’s early days, Ekpenyong lamented the departure from its original vision.
“During the Second Republic, governors didn’t control the party machinery like they do now. Back then, young people like me could rise without money or political godfathers.”
On the ongoing political tension in Rivers State, Ekpenyong disclosed that he had advised Governor Siminalayi Fubara to seek an audience with President Tinubu.
“I told Fubara to meet with Tinubu while he was in France. The battle in Rivers is all about delivering votes to Tinubu. Fubara is being humiliated, and if he doesn’t act wisely, he’ll be completely sidelined.”
He also criticized the current crop of PDP governors, describing them as “weak and self-serving,” and placing part of the blame on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
“Atiku should have focused on rebuilding the party instead of his endless presidential ambitions. His actions have contributed to the collapse we are witnessing now,” he said.
Calling the situation “the end of the road” for the PDP, Ekpenyong suggested that only a mass movement by ordinary Nigerians could create a viable opposition in the future.
“What’s happening now is the requiem for the PDP. Maybe after Tinubu’s tenure, a new political movement will emerge.”
He also cited the PDP’s handling of political succession after the death of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as a key turning point. “The PDP disrupted the North-South balance after Yar’Adua’s death, and that mistake continues to haunt the party.”
On the possibility of independent candidates rising to challenge the status quo, Ekpenyong was pessimistic. “If you contest as an independent and they eliminate you at the last minute, what can you do?”
