The Peoples Democratic Party PDP (PDP) has admitted that the crisis currently affecting the party is Self-inflicted, which it narrowed down to the era of former president Olusegun Obasanjo.
PDP said it had too often, jettisoned ideology in favour of personal ambition.
Acting National Chairman Ambassador Umar Damagum, at the consultative conference of PDP founding fathers and stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Wednesday said the party has paid dearly for its negligence.
“In 2013, we witnessed one of such fractures that shook us to our very core. A group of party leaders walked away from our party, seeking new alliances. Today, we witness yet another,”Damagum said.
PDP has lost two of its governors and members of the National Assembly to the All Progressives Congress (APC), while some of its leaders, including former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and former President of the Senate David Mark, to the coalition platform, the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
However, Damagum believes it not yet over for the PDP noting that movements built on political expediency, collapse when confronted by lasting values.
“Instead, we rest in the assurance that the People’s Democratic Party remains the only political platform in Nigeria whose foundation was built on national consensus, democratic inclusion, and a clear vision for Nigeria’s future; to return power to the people!” he added.
The National Chairman however stated that the PDP did not respond to these movements with bitterness, though they are often unpleasant.
He noted that PDP was born out of necessity, “to dismantle authoritarianism and restore democratic governance” in Nigeria, stating that since formation in August 1998, the party’s journey has been marked by triumphs and trials.
“Like any living institution, we have faced internal rifts, betrayals, and moments of national disappointment,” he stated, and boasted that the party is not disturbed because PDP offers more than a political structure.
“It embodies ideological clarity, resilience of spirit, and the staying power to withstand and overcome turbulent winds.
“Yet, there is still a beauty that exists only in the PDP; our founding vision, our commitment to internal democracy, our enduring mechanisms for dialogue and reconciliation, and our true national outlook.
“These are not ordinary attributes. They are the very pillars that made and have sustained the PDP as the bedrock of Nigeria’s democratic journey, and they remain our guiding strength today,” he added.
He praised the founding fathers for standing firm for democracy at a time when it wasn’t popular, or even safe to do so, recalling that they endured intimidation, harassment, and in some cases, faced detention.
“Yet, they chose principle over comfort, and conviction over convenience.
“The Peoples Democratic Party was never conceived as a mere vehicle for political ambition; it was born out of a national crisis of conscience.
“The PDP then emerged to offer the nation a credible alternative rooted in principle, moral and ideological clarity, and broad-based national consensus.
“And indeed, at that critical moment in our history, the PDP rescued Nigeria from a bleak fate,” he noted.
Damagum told the founding fathers that Nigeria, at the moment, is in dire need of direction.
“Our democratic values are under strain, the cost of living crushes our people, the younger generation is losing faith in leadership and the economy continues to suffer in depressing stagnancy.
“In this moment, as in times past, the PDP must rise as a vessel of real hope and a voice of reason,” he said.
According to him, the conference was not a formality but a strategic reckoning, which allows realignment with the PDP’s core values of discipline, loyalty, inclusive governance, and policy-driven leadership.
“We have spent too much time trying to reconcile. Now, we must truly do it; and move forward,” he added, and charged them to resolve to rebuild the party and reclaim its national mandate, with the ultimate goal of healing and rebuilding a nation that has been badly beaten and deeply fractured.
PDP founding Secretary, Prof. Jerry Gana, urged party leaders to support the call for PDP Southern candidate in the 2027 presidential election.
Gana explained that such will not only ensure victory for the party at the polls, but will promote justice, fairness and equity.
“We appeal to all our leaders to agree at the NEC meeting on Thursday, to convene the National Convention of our great party, so that we can elect a fresh set of party officers, for the next four years.
“W e must also ensure a transparent and credible National Convention that will set a gold standard for internal party democracy.
“The convention must be transparent, accountable and reflective of our democratic ideals. No more backroom deals or impositions,” he advised.
Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum Senator Bala Mohamed, announced that the party has resolved its National Secretaryship crisis, who he said, has been accorded recognition by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
