Chidoka warns PDP it may be swallowed up unless it reforms
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Osita Chidoka, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and former Aviation Minister, has warned that, if reforms are not carried out urgently in the party, it could get swallowed up in the planned expansion by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He also stressed the Labour Party (LP), which has decimated the PDP, remains a formidable threat to the existence of the party that once ruled Nigeria for 16 years.
Chidoka expressed these views on Channels Television, where he admitted the PDP lost some strongholds to the LP in the election earlier this year.
“The PDP is a government that was in power for 16 years. Its instinct is that of a government party; not an opposition party. And it has taken us eight years to begin to realise this,” he said.
“We smell the coffee; that it’s not four years and we are back … or we are coming back the next day.
“Now, we are beginning to see that PDP itself needs to be reformed. It needs to renew and re-imagine itself to be able to begin to play the role of opposition, knowing full well that we have a politician as president.
“If PDP doesn’t get its act together, it will be an extinct party. So, we need to wake up, smell the coffee, find the kind of leadership that will represent us in an opposition atmosphere, and begin to do the work of the opposition.
“We must do the work of mobilisation and imbibe technology. The last four years have taught us a bitter lesson that a young party can come up and take away PDP strongholds in an election cycle.”
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Chidoka spoke in reaction to disclosure by All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje the party plans nationwide followership expansion which may include opposition parties merging with it, per reporting by The Guardian.
Ganduje made the point at the APC national secretariat in Abuja, saying he would soon come up with a blueprint for achieving the objective.
“It will certainly improve the chances of our party, especially in 2027. And not only that, we are coming out with a new blueprint to increase followership,” he said.
“This will include all strata of officials; those who are in APC and those who are in other political parties. I assure you; very soon, some of the political parties will even merge with the APC. We are doing that underground.”
Ganduje also cited the cooperation of former Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike who visited his Abuja residence earlier in the week.
The visit by Wike, a PDP grandee, has fuelled speculation of his defection to the APC.
“You know, Wike is an honourable minister-designate. He came, we discussed because I was looking for him, to congratulate him for that. And also, he came to congratulate me,” Ganduje said.
“We discussed that when he becomes minister fully, he will work very hard to move forward the ministry he would be given, and he is ready to cooperate. But we didn’t discuss the issue of his coming to APC or not coming to APC. That issue will arise later.”