The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is currently facing internal crisis as the individual ambitions of prominent members, such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, have intensified existing divisions. This has created significant tension within the party and poses a potential setback for the reconciliation efforts led by the Olagunsoye Oyinlola-led committee.
For months, the party has been fractured into factions primarily backing Atiku and Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. However, tensions escalated when Governor Mohammed, the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, expressed an interest in the 2027 presidential race. This move has introduced further complications, with some members attributing the party’s challenges to internal leadership issues that have grown since PDP’s loss in the 2023 elections.
To advance his political interests, Mohammed aligned himself with party members who are advocating for the removal of the current PDP National Chairman, Umar Damagum. Although he initially pushed for change, Mohammed reportedly offered to step down if former President Goodluck Jonathan agreed to return and lead the party in 2027. Two months ago, at a Save Africa Initiative event in Abuja, Mohammed expressed his concerns over President Bola Tinubu’s administration, suggesting Jonathan’s experience would be valuable in managing the country’s economy. Jonathan has yet to publicly respond, leaving many to speculate about his position.
The push to unseat Damagum encountered resistance. Recently, Mohammed openly acknowledged Damagum’s leadership at a PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, an unexpected shift from his prior stance. Only five of the party’s 13 governors attended this meeting, indicating limited consensus among party leaders. Meanwhile, attention within the PDP began to focus on Makinde, as several leaders loyal to Wike reportedly voiced their support for his candidacy over Atiku’s, citing frustration with Atiku’s approach to the 2023 election.
Unnamed PDP chieftains, still discontented over Atiku’s handling of the 2023 election, have criticized his refusal to engage with the “G-5” group of aggrieved governors, which included Wike, in the lead-up to the vote. Some believe this lack of reconciliation played a key role in the party’s 2023 loss.
Reflecting on the former Vice President’s candidacies, one insider told VANGUARD, “Every election circle, you will be given a presidential ticket; you will bungle it. Look at the mess that he caused for us at the 2023 election. What was difficult in going to kneel before the aggrieved five governors (G-5) and winning the election for us?
“Now, it is one of those same men you cried about that is giving you a problem. He could have waited till after the election and deceived Wike as (former President Olusegun) Obasanjo did during his time. Atiku was not serious and sincere about winning that presidency,” a source stated.
Governor Makinde, in response to rumors about his potential candidacy, recently stated that he has not made any decision regarding his political future, emphasizing his autonomy to speak when ready. However, during a PDP event on Saturday, Makinde commented that the 2027 election would be a contest between the ruling APC and the Nigerian people, asserting that no one could dictate his political ambitions.
On the issue, Timothy Osadolor, the PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, voiced criticism of Atiku, attributing the party’s instability to his lack of leadership.
He said, “People may perceive Nyesom Wike as the problem but the biggest problem of the PDP today is Atiku Abubakar.
“Between Wike and Atiku, the former Vice President is the bigger man and the more experienced politician.
“Naturally, he should provide leadership for Wike and the rest of us in the PDP. But he should ask himself if he is providing that leadership.
“The earlier Atiku realises that one tree does not make a forest, the better it will be for us all. You cannot have your people, and I have my people, and you expect us to win.
“Politics is a game of numbers and marriage of interest. It is not enough to come out every four years and activate a campaign machine that is quite formidable.
“Before every election cycle, some processes position the party in the eyes of Nigerians that we are ready for elections.
“Among the governors of the South, I am sure, we can get such a character in Governor Seyi Makinde but he has not told anyone publicly that he is interested.
“Outside the PDP Governors Forum, if former President Jonathan wants to throw his hat in the ring, he stands a good chance.
“It is not a question of North or South; it is a question of a unifying character that can bring victory for the party.”
In contrast, Dele Momodu, head of the Atiku Presidential Campaign’s communications in 2023, dismissed these claims, instead blaming Wike for the ongoing discord. He attributed Wike’s continued dissatisfaction to his unsuccessful bid for the PDP nomination in 2022.
He stated, “It (PDP crisis) has nothing to do with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. It is about Nyesom Wike sulking perpetually about his loss at the PDP Presidential Primary in 2022.”
The APC has also weighed in on the matter, with National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka advising Makinde to prioritize governance over 2027 ambitions. Morka’s statement emphasized that Makinde’s focus on future ambitions “at the expense of the job he was elected to do as governor is a disservice to the good people of Oyo State.”
In his words, “While our democracy affords Makinde the liberty to his political aspiration, however, engaging in reckless executive flippancy at the expense of the job he was elected to do as governor is a disservice to the good people of Oyo State.
“If Makinde knew how best to keep APC’s influence at bay, why has he not executed that strategy in ‘protection’ of his party nationally?
“Like the proverbial bad workman who blames his tools, Makinde and his co-confused PDP leaders should quit pointing fingers at the APC and take full responsibility for their disgraceful failure to handle the party’s implosion and decay.”
“Makinde’s unhinged 2027 ambition cannot be founded upon his unguarded and unjustified attacks against our great party or the administration of President Bola Tinubu that has launched the boldest and most ambitious reform effort in history to transform our country’s economy and build a solid foundation for progress.
“Governor Makinde has failed to prove himself as an effective leader. His lacklustre performance as governor speaks for itself and undermines his credibility.
“Instead of prioritising the needs of the Oyo people who elected him to tackle their local issues, he has chosen to divert his attention and squander the state’s resources in pursuit of unhinged 2027 ambition.
“Makinde cannot even speak for the people of Oyo regarding their future electoral choices or decisions, let alone speak for Nigerians.
“Makinde and his partisan cohorts are only worried that the looming transformation and prosperity from Tinubu’s economic policies will consign their 2027 ambitions and calculations into the trash bin of political irrelevance,” he stated.
