Special Issue No 3, April 2025
A Party at War with Itself
In
what must be described as a tragic failure of political foresight and strategic
thinking, the recent public rejection by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
Governors of a possible coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections marks a
new low in the party’s internal politics and casts doubt on the sincerity of
its leadership towards reclaiming democratic space in Nigeria.
The recent pronouncement by the PDP Governors’
Forum rejecting coalition politics ahead of the 2027 elections has sent
shockwaves across Nigeria’s political landscape. It is an astounding act of
political insensitivity, one that betrays not only the collective aspiration of
the Nigerian people but also the PDP’s claim to opposition leadership.
At
a time when democratic regression, economic decay, and rising insecurity demand
robust opposition unity, the PDP Governors have opted for fragmentation. It is
a move that aligns more with the strategic interest of the ruling APC than with
any patriotic imperative. It forces us to ask: are these Governors working for
the party, or have they become embedded agents in the machinery of the ruling
elite?
Governor Bala Mohammed
Chairman, PDP Governors' Forum
Inside the Betrayal: What Really
Happened?
Sources
close to recent strategic sessions of the PDP Governors’ Forum revealed that
the governors cited “the need to consolidate the party” and “preserve PDP’s
identity” as reasons for rejecting coalition talks. This logic, on the surface,
appears noble—but it quickly collapses under scrutiny. What kind of
consolidation isolates you from the broader democratic struggle? What identity
are you preserving when the party’s electoral strength continues to erode?
Political
history is replete with examples of coalition strategies rescuing collapsing
democracies. Nigeria’s First and Second Republics saw temporary alliances, some
unstable, but often necessary to hold off creeping authoritarianism. Today, the
APC thrives not because of its strength, but because of opposition weakness.
And PDP Governors, rather than seek unity, are choosing personal ambition over
national salvation.
A Dangerous Abdication of
Responsibility
Rather
than seize the opportunity to build a broad-based political alliance capable of
challenging the entrenched hegemony of the ruling All Progressives Congress
(APC), PDP Governors have chosen the path of isolationism—masqueraded under the
banner of “party independence.” Their decision, reportedly communicated after a
recent meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum, is not only politically myopic but
structurally dangerous. It reeks of a quiet conspiracy to hand over 2027 on a
platter to the APC, a party whose own legitimacy has been widely contested both
domestically and internationally.
“When
the house is on fire, you don’t quarrel about the shape of the bucket.” This
Yoruba proverb captures the urgency of Nigeria’s political situation and the
irresponsibility of those who refuse cooperation in the face of democratic
decay. Coalition politics is not a sign of weakness—it is an emblem of
maturity, pragmatism, and ideological convergence in troubled democracies. As
Arend Lijphart (1999) observed, “Power-sharing and coalition-building are
indispensable tools in plural societies aiming for stable democratic
governance.” For the PDP Governors to reject such tools is to sabotage not just
their party’s recovery but Nigeria’s democratic future.
Governors as Trojan Horses in Agbada
Let
us be frank: these Governors are no longer acting as stewards of a party that
once stood as a bulwark against authoritarianism. Their conduct reveals them as
internal saboteurs—Trojan horses—whose political maneuvers benefit the ruling
party more than the opposition they supposedly represent. Political scientists
refer to this as “cooperative defection” (Geddes, 1999), where internal actors
pretend to oppose the dominant regime but actively work to strengthen it
through inaction, sabotage, or elite collusion.
Several
PDP Governors have been accused—openly and privately—of being in secret
alignment with the APC, enjoying economic or political concessions in exchange
for their neutrality or deliberate weakening of opposition strength. Political
survival, access to federal funds, and immunity from prosecution have become
currency in the backchannel marketplace of elite Nigerian politics.
Such
collusion is not unprecedented in Nigeria’s political landscape, but the open
rejection of coalitions in today’s volatile climate smacks of strategic
sabotage. It echoes what Linz and Stepan (1996) described as the “disloyal
opposition” that functions more as a stabilizing appendage of the regime than a
check on its power.
These
Governors, while mouthing opposition rhetoric in public, function as
stabilizers of the status quo. The real question becomes: who are they loyal
to—the PDP, the people, or the ruling cabal? As Claude Ake once argued, “The
state in Africa is a site of struggle for primitive accumulation, not a
platform for social development.” These Governors exemplify this reality. The
rejection of a coalition is not a policy position—it is a betrayal.
Selfish Leaders Over Collective
Interest
What
is even more infuriating is the ego-driven rationale behind their decision. The
rejection of coalition politics is not informed by ideological incompatibility
or policy divergences—it is rooted in self-preservation and individual
ambition. Each Governor sees himself as a potential kingmaker or aspirant,
unwilling to forgo personal ambition for the collective goal of rescuing
Nigeria’s democratic order. In the words of Chinua Achebe (1983), “The trouble
with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.” This leadership
failure is once again being reenacted in the PDP.
If
Nigeria is to escape the current quagmire of political inertia, electoral
fraud, economic collapse, and rising authoritarianism, then the opposition must
learn to build bridges, not burn them. The 2023 elections exposed the need for
consolidated opposition action, and the PDP’s performance in that cycle
underscored the dangers of fragmentation. Yet, here we are again—on the path of
division and egoism.
From Party Politics to People
Politics: Time for a National Citizens' Movement
This
is a clarion call to all patriotic Nigerians: We must no longer be spectators
in our own political tragedy.
In
the face of this betrayal, all patriotic PDP faithfuls, disillusioned
opposition members, civic organizations, and the generality of the Nigerian
people must rise in defiance of this decision. A new Nigeria Movement must
emerge—beyond party lines—to confront the elite-favored order that sustains
itself on the poverty, silence, and division of the people. The PDP Governors,
by this decision, have revealed themselves as no different from the APC power
elite—they are two sides of the same coin, circling the same trough. It is now
up to the people to take ownership of the 2027 project and rally around a
national coalition—one driven by values, not vested interests.
This
movement must be rooted in democratic revival, electoral integrity, accountable
governance, and inclusive development. It must be a citizens’ platform, not
beholden to governors or godfathers. As Thomas Sankara once said, “You cannot
carry out fundamental change without a certain amount of madness… It takes a
madman to say that he will change society. And you need people who dare to
invent the future.”
We
must now transcend traditional party lines and forge a Nigeria Movement—a
platform for citizens, civil society, youth coalitions, professionals,
students, labour, and the disenchanted faithful from every political divide.
This movement must rise to reclaim Nigeria from the grip of self-serving elites
masquerading as opposition and governance.
The
PDP, as presently constituted and governed by these elite governors, cannot and
will not save Nigeria. The people must.
As
Frantz Fanon once said, “Each generation must, out of relative obscurity,
discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it.” Our generation’s mission is
clear: defeat the elite-favored establishment and democratize political
participation. Let the 2027 project begin—not in the boardrooms of compromised
governors, but in the streets, forums, campuses, and minds of the Nigerian
people.
Conclusion: History Will Judge
It
must be stated unequivocally: the PDP Governors’ rejection of coalition
politics is a betrayal of the Nigerian people. It is a selfish act of political
cowardice disguised as strategic independence. It reveals these leaders not as
statesmen but as political opportunists nursing ambitions bigger than their
capacities. If they continue down this path, they will go down in history not
as defenders of democracy but as enablers of its demise.
As
the late Claude Ake (1996) warned, “Without a credible and unified opposition,
democracy becomes indistinguishable from authoritarianism in civilian clothes.”
The time to choose between personal gain and collective purpose is now. If the
PDP Governors fail to embrace coalition politics, they may as well join the APC
and make their betrayal official.
If
they cannot lead the charge against authoritarianism, they should step aside
for a coalition of willing patriots. Nigeria cannot survive another cycle of
elite betrayal dressed in opposition colors. The battle for 2027 must be
fought—and won—by a new force. A force of ideas, accountability, coalition, and
most importantly, the Nigerian people.
It
is not the APC alone that Nigerians must resist. It is every enabler of
Nigeria’s failed elite consensus—including the Governors now sabotaging
coalition politics under the PDP banner.
Talking Points for Civil Society
& Media Engagement
1.
Highlight the hypocrisy of PDP Governors rejecting coalitions while accusing
the APC of democratic intolerance.
2.
Expose instances of elite collusion, including shared business interests,
cross-party patronage networks, and secret meetings.
3.
Question the moral authority of the PDP leadership, especially where electoral
failure or state mismanagement has occurred.
4.
Promote the necessity of a national coalition, stressing people-first platforms
like electoral reform, security sector overhaul, and economic restructuring.
5.
Center public discourse around people's movements, not elite maneuverings.
Let
the Nigeria Movement rise. The future will not wait.
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