PDP chair affirms opposition can’t beat Tinubu without merging with party
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Plans for any merger without the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should forget about unseating Bola Tinubu from the presidency in 2027, the party’s acting National Chairman Umar Damagum has reiterated, insisting the PDP remains the strongest opposition in the field as of today.
Damagum bared his mind on BBC Hausa Service on Tuesday in reaction to comments the previous day by Rabiu Kwankwaso, New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) presidential candidate in 2023, who ruled out an alliance with the PDP and the Labour Party (LP) in 2027.
He said there would have been no Kwankwaso without the PDP as he had his political grooming in the PDP before jumping ship.
He also dismissed Kwankwaso’s assertion that the PDP is dead, saying the party is the only opposition still winning governorship elections across the country.
“People are entitled to their opinions, but I want to remind him [Kwankwaso] of the past. When they left the PDP in 2015, if the party didn’t die back then, during a time they thought they had weakened it, I don’t see why anyone would claim it is dead now,” Damagum stressed.
“Let’s not forget that the PDP remains the only party capable of winning elections if you exclude the ruling APC.
“That said, there is no party better than the PDP for Kwankwaso. The party nurtured his political career and brought him to where he is today. We still hope he will return to work with us to rebuild our party and confront this oppressive government.”
Damagum highlighted the PDP’s resilience and continued influence, pointing to its lasting structure and widespread presence throughout Nigeria.
“The PDP is the only party that has consistently won elections without being in power. Senator Kwankwaso may have left, but how many states did he win with his new party? The facts speak for themselves.
“For over two decades, the PDP has remained steadfast, maintaining its identity and producing Governors and lawmakers in every part of the country. Even if four parties merge without the PDP, they cannot win an election. We’ve seen this play out repeatedly. Where are those parties now? Even their alliances with other parties have not delivered the desired results.
“I admit that some of his claims about the challenges we faced back then are valid. As the Deputy National Chairman (North) at the time, my powers were limited, but we tried to resolve the issues. Unfortunately, those efforts fell short. He himself acknowledged this in previous interviews.”
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