PDP Dribbles Itself, Gives Birth to a Coalition

By Ochiagha Reagan Ufomba

In the unpredictable theatre of Nigerian politics where irony often outpaces logic, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has again scored an own goal. Not by misfortune, but by sheer miscalculation. What was meant to reaffirm its dominance and unity has instead led to implosion and the accidental birth of a fast-rising coalition that may well replace it.

This is not the first time PDP has toyed with self-destruction. But this time, the damage may be deep and final.

I Saw This Coming

Let the records reflect: I saw this coming. I warned. Loudly. I wrote profusely about it. I called for reforms, justice, inclusion, and equity. I pleaded with the party leadership to remember the men and women who built the PDP from scratch— those who sacrificed comfort, time, and ambition to form what was once the largest political party in Africa.
But my warnings were ignored. The PDP, which once held both the knife and the yam, now staggers around with a walking stick. A party that once controlled every strategic inch of the political map now searches for direction, relevance, and rescue.

A Party in Reverse Gear.

Once the dominant force in Nigerian democracy, the PDP has, over the years, descended into a confused version of itself, unable to read the room, let alone the mood of a disillusioned people. What began as minor internal disagreements has become full-scale fragmentation. The zoning imbroglio, the Atiku-Obi split, the Wike-G5 rebellion, and the South-East disenchantment all point to a party stuck in reverse gear —retreating from equity, logic, and its founding principles. Rather than reposition for the future, PDP chose ego over equity, expediency over justice, friendship or capacity and compromise over conviction. The consequences have been swift and damning.

Not About Age, But About Abandonment

Contrary to the misguided belief that this is about “tired old faces” versus youthful energy, the problem runs deeper. Party politics anywhere in the world has not been a generational war — it is a moral, inclusive one. The crisis is not that older members dominated the stage; it is that loyal, founding members — those with electoral value and proven capacity — were sidelined and abandoned..Those who held the umbrella when it rained — who took bullets for the party when it mattered— were ignored in favour of latter-day joiners and power-seekers. How can a party hope to survive when it punishes loyalty and rewards betrayal?

The Accidental Midwife of Change

In its arrogance and disorganisation, the PDP has unwittingly midwifed a new political force. This emerging coalition —made up of aggrieved party men, disillusioned progressives, civil society actors, technocrats, and grassroots influencers— is growing rapidly, united by a common cause: the rejection of shenanigans and failure. This coalition was not born of ideology. It was born of frustration and necessity — frustration with the PDP’s refusal to learn, reform, or give justice a seat at the table. It represents a realignment of hope, forged in the furnace of betrayal.

The Cost of Arrogance

PDP’s undoing is not APC. It is not Buhari. It is not INEC. It is not even Tinubu. PDP’s greatest enemy is PDP. A party that refuses to restructure itself cannot credibly call for national restructuring. A party that sacrifices its best for the sake of placating factions cannot claim to stand for democracy. A party that rejects internal zoning but demands national justice is morally bankrupt. A party that panders to the wishes and schemes of one man whose religion is disloyalty is doomed.
Now, it is paying the price. Not just in lost elections, but in lost trust, lost talent, and lost opportunity.

What Next?

PDP stands at a crossroads: reform or ruin, repentance or irrelevance. If it does not urgently return to its founding ideals — of fairness, federal character, justice, and reward for sacrifice —then the coalition it accidentally birthed will soon become its replacement. Unfortunately, “the snake has crossed the highway already”.

The time for cosmetic changes is over. What is needed is a complete reset. A soul-searching, principle-based, inclusivity, and structural overhaul. Not for the sake of elections, but for survival.

Final Word

PDP is not just losing elections. It is losing memory. It is losing soul. It is losing the very reason it was created. I warned. I reminded them. I told them that when a house forgets its pillars, collapse is inevitable. And now, the once-mighty elephant staggers in the wilderness, while a new political force sharpens its tusks.
A wise party would stop, reflect, and reset. But PDP?
It just keeps dribbling. Into oblivion. It is time for me and teeming members of the CHANGEABIA ORGANISATION to return to the political chessboard. It’s a clarion call.

Ochiagha Reagan Ufomba is a businessman, Former Governorship Candidate, Havard-trained global Negotiator and National convenor of The Nigerian Project.