Tinubu has captured PDP, it ‘ll be difficult to recover— Ekpenyong, one of PDP founding fathers laments
Chris Ekpenyong
One of the founding fathers of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Chris Ekpenyong, has said President Bola Tinubu has captured the party.
Last week’s defections of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, his deputy, Sir Monday Onyeme, predecessor in office, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, and their supporters from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC, according to Ekpenyong has increased concerns that Nigeria is headed for a one-party state.
Ekpenyong, who served as Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State under the Victor Attah administration from 1999 to 2007, says the party may find it difficult to rise again, saying President Bola Tinubu has captured the PDP, in an interview with the Vanguard.
To him: “Tinubu has killed the PDP. I’m sure Akwa Ibom may follow soon. Everybody wanted former VP Atiku Abubakar to clearly state that he was not going to contest, but his persistence has forced people to make their own decisions. This is dividing the North and the South. What do we do now? The party has been destroyed. I honestly do not know how they can rebuild it to challenge the APC in the future.
On the issue of the whether elders of the party are not doing enough to prevent these high-profile defections that are about making Nigeria a one-party state, it is his view that: “The people we could talk to are no longer interested. The first mistake PDP made was handing over the party to the governors. That was the mistake founding fathers like Obasanjo made. Obasanjo seized the party. The only ones who stood up to him were the late Chief Sunday Awoniyi and former Vice President Alex Ekwueme, who actually founded the PDP. We joined Ekwueme when the party evolved from G34 to PDP. My boss, former Governor Victor Attah, benefited from that transformation. Chief Don Etiebet, who brought PDP to Akwa Ibom, left as far back as 2001 because of how he was treated after Attah took power. PDP ruled Nigeria for 16 years. Some people once said PDP would rule for 60 years. But where are they now? The party was left in the hands of governors, who now control everything. They know why they are defecting, it is mostly to protect themselves from the EFCC. We will wait and see what happens when Tinubu finishes his two terms. Will the North use APC for their own turn? We are heading for a one-party state. It is left to them. I no longer have the locus standi to fight back. Those who looted the nation’s wealth have done their worst.”
Ekpenyong continued: “The moment the party was handed over to governors, it was clear. During the Second Republic, the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) was not controlled by governors. If it had been, I would not have become a member of the House of Assembly at such a young age, even while serving as a Youth Corps member. I had no money. I considered joining the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), where things might have been easier, but I chose NPN because my people were conservatives—and I even defeated an incumbent. Back then, the party was run by the people, who contributed to its funding. Now, the governors run everything.”
He noted: “My state governor, Eno (of Akwa Ibom), has already declared support for Tinubu. He is also backing the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. What next? I called Fubara (suspended Rivers governor), he did not answer. But I sent him a message. I told him that since Tinubu was in France, he should visit him because this whole battle is about delivering Rivers State votes to Tinubu. The young man is being humiliated by Wike, and the President has done nothing. Instead, he installed an administrator in the state. This is clearly about votes. Fubara has to survive politically, if not, he will be rubbished,” he said.
The former deputy governor said PDP governors are weak. All they care about is power and their own survival. A few governors from the North might jump ship too. Atiku is the problem. He should have focused on rebuilding the party instead of always aiming for the presidency. What can he do now? “My governor was not even nominated to attend the NEC meeting in Kano in August. I do not see any hope for the opposition. Tinubu has already neutralized them. As things stand, only a movement from the people can bring real opposition. What is happening now is the requiem for the PDP. I spoke to Okwesilieze Nwodo, a former governor and party National Chairman. We had a long discussion.
“He said he was hopeful the issues would be addressed at the convention—but what is likely to come out of it now? Many people who benefited from PDP do not even care anymore. Those who could have helped revive the party in the North are dormant. It is over. Tinubu already controls the South, and the North has no choice but to give him votes. PDP made a huge mistake after late President Yar’Adua’s death. They should have let someone from the North continue. But they insisted it was the South’s turn. That disrupted the balance. I do not see PDP coming back. Maybe after Tinubu’s tenure, people will decide to create a new party,” he lamented.
