The People Democratic Party [PDP] opened the route of leadership for all political parties that ushered in the Fourth Republic in 1999. The Party [PDP], amongst others, was well funded by the Military retirees, that bequeathed mantle of political leadership to the Nigerian civilians. The Party was formidable. It was strong and well connected.
Though Chief Oluyemisi Falae, who ran on the joint ticket of both the Alliance for Democracy [AD] and the All People’s Party [APP] tried to gather votes, mostly from the South-West, Olusegun Obasanjo; the presidential candidate of the PDP, picked majority of votes from across the country, to lead comfortably.
Of course, the PDP was the anointed and chosen political candidate of the outgoing Military Institution and those military-kingmakers – the types of Generals Ibrahim Babangida, Theophilus Danjuma, Jeremiah Useni and host of others. The metaphor of President Obasanjo wasn’t too much of political miracle.
The PDP came, saw and conquered. It spread its tentacles across the length and breath of the Nation. It occupied like Octopus. Eight years into swift and continuous winning of elections, at each election circle, the PDP concluded, in the myopic minds of its leaders, that it was most likely it would remain juicy, for a long time to come.
It could have been because of this deceitful thought that made a National Chairman of the Party [PDP] – Chief Vincent Ogbolafor, to announce to the whole world that “PDP shall rule for 60 years”. That was 2008.
Let me quickly add here that what the PDP – while the Sun was rising for it, did not do was to be prudent enough to identify a lurking nemesis just hanging around the corner. The nemesis the PDP did not see was not an invisible spirit. It was a Principality and Power – though in high places but was in human form – flesh and blood.
If only the Party were to be discerning enough, it would have suspected and identified a Bola Ahmed Tinubu hanging on there, just around the corner. PDP should have noted that a man who remained standing, in spite of all the military-power-packaged punches President Obasanjo threw on him, had something speaking for him, even into the future.
Let us fast track the journey of this narration.
Then came the Year of our Lord, 2015, the 60 years projected sojourn in the place of Nigeria’s leadership came to an end – albeit abruptly.
Thank God that the end of PDP came bloodlessly. We had President Goodluck Jonathan to thank for easily conceding defeat to the opposition Party – the APC.
The emphasis need to be made here, that if President Goodluck Jonathan were not to be whom he is – a patriotic democrat, a man who sincerely, and at all times, would not want to win elections by hook and crook; an astute believer that no Nigerian life is worth his victory at the polls, “the dog and the baboon would be soaked in blood”, Muhammadu Buhari’s slogan, would have spilled Nigerian blood, and maybe, till today.
However, things have not remained same for the PDP since that “small fall” – so some politicians thought of it then, since 2015, till day. It has remained “one day one trouble” for the Political Party that was ready to rule Nigeria for 60 years.
But good enough, some articulated politicians in the PDP saw an ailment in the body of the Party. And this class of wise politicians quickly believed that the Party needed to be presented for attention of a General Physician in any good and reputable Hospital. Others did not agree with this class. The latter instead, recommended out-patient type of treatment for the once-biggest Party in Africa.
Then came the year of 2022. And another circle of Political Parties National Convention and Primaries, where aspirants are being scrutinized to become candidates and flagbearers of Political Parties, came.
Other Political Parties held theirs. The People Democratic Party also carried out its own, at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, in Abuja. While preparing for the Primary, the frequency of the PDP’s attendance, as an out-patient, in the Hospital, reduced drastically. That probably would have affected the Party’s disastrous outcome in that year’s Primary.
There were three dramatis personae, who were physically present at the Primary, that need to be mention here. And we shall also mention one great – very great, personality that was not physically present in the Primary but played the most damning role.
They are – those that were present, Atiku Abubakar – former Vice-President, Aminu Tambuwal – former Governor of Sokoto State and Nysom Ezenwo Wike, then Governor of Rivers State. The man that did not attend the Primary but held the ace card was former President Ibrahim Bademosi Babangida.
The outcome of that Primary and result of the Nigerian General election, of 2023, had since sent the PDP back to the Hospital, but this time on full time admission.
Recently however, the medical reports on the admitted patient, has been worrisome. And this must be for various reasons – chiefs amongst the reason would be:
- Too many cooks in the kitchen
- Too many non-professional doctors administering drugs on the patient
- The clash of money bags, who are out to purchase the soul of the patient
- The role which US$ Dollars can play amongst poor and greedy politicians,
- And maybe the roleplay of an internal Hippopotamus from the Sea, synergizing with empirical Land Loin that has been roaring for conquering of an Empire.
On Wednesday, May 28, 2025, speaking on the Channel Television popular show, always anchored by Seun Okinbaloye, former Governor of Benue State, Senator Gabriel Suswam, said that the People Democratic Party [PDP] is in Intensive Care Unit [ICU].
Senator Suswam knew what he said because he is one of the major beneficiaries from the PDP when the ovation was loudest.
We all know what it means for a patient to be admitted into ICU of any hospital. The real fact is that not every hospital has the ICU facility, and when a patient is there at the ICU, and this is the interpretation of those of us that can be referred to as semi-primitive – medically speaking, such patient’s life is hanging on the balance.
The wonder of the ICU is that continuity of life comes from, in most cases, life support machine
What some Nigerians, ditto the larger world, that have been following the sad story of the PDP, from the day of that terrible fall, till when former Governor Suswam made the revelation of the department of the Hospital the patient had been moved to, held to hope, somehow.
But most Nigerians that understand the complication of the PDP’s ailment knew the difficulty, that the patient might not be surviving the sickness so soon. Most concluded that if the Patient even survives, it will not have enough strength to go into political contest of 2027, against President Bola Tinubu and the APC.
But with the total manifestation of the level of doomsday on the PDP, as events unfolded yesterday, when there came to be total breakdown of communication amongst all members of the Party, it is now obvious that the life support machine that had kept the Patient hitherto in the ICU has been unplugged.
It is with sad and heavy heart therefore, that the Nigerian Legion of Patriots announces the long-expected demise of the People Democratic Party [1998-2025].
A Consortium of Undertakers, comprising of the following, listed below, have been appointed by the Chief Mourners, to give an unbefitting burial, in an unmarked grave, to the departed Soul of this entity.
- Acting National Chairman of the Party
- All members of Board of Trustee
- All members of the Working Committee
- All members of the National Working Committee
- All members of the Extended or Contracted Caucus
- All members of the PDP’s G-5
- His Excellency – Atiku Abubakar
Signed – For Chief Mourners:
Bola
Ezenwo
Godswilling
Adieu PDP – may your Soul never rest in peace.
Godwin Etakibuebu; a Veteran Journalist, wrote from Lagos.
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