EDITORIAL: Quiet Musings on the PDP Dilemma

In moments of silence, one cannot help but reflect on the deepening dilemma of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria. Once a political behemoth, the party now appears to be standing precariously on the brink—pushed there by a combination of actions and inactions of its most influential actors.

Today, two figures loom large in this unfolding drama: Nyesom Wike and Seyi Makinde. Between them lie the weight of internal schisms, unresolved court cases, and a crisis of legitimacy that has fractured the party into competing factions. What we are witnessing is not a sudden collapse, but the culmination of a long, slow decline.

The seeds of this present crisis were sown in the build-up to the 2023 general elections, particularly in the aftermath of the Atiku candidacy and the rebellion of the G5 governors. The events of that period irreparably weakened party cohesion, eroded trust, and normalized open defiance within the PDP. What followed was inevitable: a party unsure of its centre, unsure of its future.

What troubles me most, however, is the human and political cost of this uncertainty—especially in Oyo State. There are aspirants who, since 2023, have invested heavily—financially, emotionally, and politically—in preparation for the 2027 elections. Today, they are suspended in a painful dilemma, their ambitions hanging by a thread, unsure whether the platform they are building on will even exist.

The grim reality is that, unless a miracle occurs, the PDP may struggle to credibly field candidates in 2027. If that happens, we may well be witnessing the end of an era—a sobering contrast to the famous declaration by the late Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, who once confidently proclaimed that the PDP would rule Nigeria for sixty years.

History, it seems, has other ideas.

For now, all hope appears to rest on whatever political wizardry Governor Seyi Makinde can muster—to rescue not just the party structure in Oyo State, but the fate of its loyal aspirants from the current doldrums. Until then, the sad reality remains with us: a once-dominant party caught in its own contradictions, uncertain whether it is merely wounded—or truly at its end.

Happy New week folks