Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have expressed confidence that the party will overcome its current internal challenges, remain united and field candidates at all levels in the 2027 general elections.
The assurances were given at a stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday in Abuja, attended by party leaders, including factional National Chairman, Kabiru Turaki; Secretary of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Babangida Aliyu; and Chairman of the PDP State Chairmen’s Forum, Tony Aziegbemi.
Speaking at the meeting, Turaki said the PDP had survived more severe crises in the past and would emerge stronger from its present difficulties.
“The attendance at this meeting gives one a lot of hope and a lot of confidence that our party PDP is alive and will continue to be alive,” Turaki said.
He recalled the past leadership crisis that led to the establishment of a caretaker committee headed by former Kaduna State Governor, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, noting that the party overcame that challenge.
“Those who were conversant with what happened during that period of serious challenge will appreciate that what we are now witnessing in our party is even a child’s play. By the special grace of God, we shall overcome. We will overcome. Indeed, we are overcoming,” Turaki stated.
The former minister also alleged that many of the crises affecting opposition parties could be traced to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), but insisted that no individual or group could destroy the PDP.
“Nobody, and I dare say, nobody can kill the PDP. PDP will continue to live,” he declared.
Turaki assured party members that ongoing legal and leadership disputes would not affect the PDP’s participation in the next general election.
“The essence of every political party is to legitimately capture power in a given polity. You cannot capture power unless you are on the ballot. I want to tell you that PDP shall be on the ballot for all rounds of the 2027 elections, from the presidential down to the state Houses of Assembly elections,” he said.
On his part, former Niger State Governor and BoT Secretary, Babangida Aliyu, urged members to remain steadfast, describing the party’s current difficulties as an “internal combustion” that would ultimately strengthen the PDP.
“We have been challenged,” Aliyu said, adding that the party had previously survived major crises and would do so again.
He criticised politicians who he said used the PDP as a platform for personal advancement before defecting to other parties.
He expressed confidence that loyal members who remained committed to justice and democratic values would be rewarded.
“Those of us who have stayed tenaciously to ensure that there is justice in our country will be rewarded,” he said. Aliyu acknowledged that the PDP had made mistakes in the past but maintained that the current situation offered an opportunity for reflection, renewal and rebuilding.
Also speaking, Chairman of the PDP State Chairmen’s Forum, Tony Aziegbemi, lamented what he described as the party’s past error of elevating some individuals who later turned against it.
Without naming anyone, he criticized a senior opposition figure who allegedly questioned the continued existence of the PDP and called for its extinction.
“The other day, I was watching the TV and I heard somebody telling someone else: ‘I didn’t know PDP was still existing until somebody was declared the winner of a seat. So PDP is still existing. My friend, make sure that you kill it,’” Aziegbemi quoted the person as saying.
He argued that some of the party’s fiercest critics were individuals who had risen to prominence through opportunities provided by the PDP.
“In this PDP, we made serious mistakes in projecting people we ought not to have been projected to attain certain positions,” he stated.
Despite the challenges, Aziegbemi urged members not to lose faith in the party, insisting that the PDP remained the right political platform and would regain its footing.
“Don’t be scared. Don’t have doubts. We will get there,” he said.
The party leaders collectively called on members to remain united and committed to strengthening the PDP ahead of the 2027 elections, expressing confidence that the opposition party would overcome its current crisis and re-emerge as a major force in Nigeria’s political landscape.
