The People's Democratic Party (PDP), once Nigeria’s dominant political party, now faces serious challenges ahead of the 2027 elections.
Despite holding 37 Senate seats and 118 House seats after the 2023 elections, the PDP has been weakened by high-profile defections, including Delta Governor Heriff Oborevwori and former vice-presidential candidate Ei Okoa, who both left for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Internal Challenges and Damage Control
Reports of a divided and fractious leadership led the PDP’s national working committee to hold emergency meetings. Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has been dispatched to stem further defections, warning that more senators and governors might leave before 2026
PDP's Response: Internal Unity, Grassroots Rebuilding
Adela Adeoye, former publicity secretary of the Action Democratic Party, contests that PDP is not in crisis. The recent internal issues, He says, stemmed from misunderstandings and have been fully resolved. He highlights the upcoming national convention scheduled for November 11 in Ibadan as a significant step towards rebuilding the party’s structure and membership recruitment across youth populations.
According to him, the party is focused on mobilizing across all states, especially targeting young Nigerians on social media who are of voting age but not yet affiliated with any party. He emphasizes that PDP remains "the biggest political party in Africa" in terms of structure and reach
Handling Zoning, Tensions, and Returnees
While Saraki previously suggested that more defections were possible, Adeoye asserts that defections have slowed. Many grassroots members—rather than high-profile figures—left due to lack of information and later returned, discouraged by ADC’s internal legal crises. PDP, He says, offers stronger grassroots structures that rival parties cannot match
On zoning tensions, Adeoye explains that PDP’s internal conflict resolution mechanisms remain functional. At the upcoming convention, leaders will take decisions that ensure inclusive representation and party unity ahead of 2027.
Grassroots Strength vs. High‑Profile Losses
Adeoye underscores that real election impact comes from grassroots activists who mobilize votes—not from personalities on social media. He insists PDP is consolidating its grassroots base to drive victory in 2027.
What About Coalition Politics?
PDP rejects the idea that ADC represents a true coalition. Adeoye argues that a genuine coalition would involve multiple parties working together—not just a small group rebranding. He states that if PDP joins any coalition, it would lead and organize it itself for maximum impact in 2027.
