The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is in urgent need of support and is seeking support from the people to resolve ongoing leadership and internal conflicts that threaten to destabilize the party. It extended its derisive offer to support the Democratic Party (PDP).
The opposition reacted sharply, accusing the ruling APC of complicity in the current crisis plaguing its leadership.
The exchange comes as the political ambitions of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde deepen the party’s crisis and disrupt reconciliation efforts led by the Olagunsoye Oyinlola Committee. This was carried out amid growing concerns that this could happen.
For more than a year, the PDP has been divided, with a faction aligned with Mr Atiku and Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike. Recently, Governor Muhammad, who is also the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, indicated his intention to run for the presidential election in 2027.
Wike and Atiku are seen as central figures in the party’s decline since its defeat in the 2023 elections. The situation worsened when Mr. Muhammad joined the voices of the opposition calling for the removal of PDP National Chairman Umar Damagum.
However, Muhammad announced his intention to withdraw from the presidential race if former President Goodluck Jonathan rejoins the party and runs for office. He made this known two months ago at an event in Abuja organized by the non-governmental organization Save Africa Initiative.
Mr. Mohammed said that many Nigerians are dissatisfied with President Bola Tinubu’s administration, and that Mr. Jonathan, with his extensive experience, is in a position to rebuild the economy and lead effectively.
Despite this, Jonathan’s camp has remained silent, leading to speculation that he is not interested in the proposal.
Meanwhile, Wike’s supporters are increasingly backing Makinde as a potential candidate for the 2027 presidential election. However, Makinde has publicly stated that he has not yet made a decision regarding his candidacy. He stressed that he is able to speak for himself and will speak openly about his political future if necessary.
Reacting to the development, APC National Public Relations Manager, Bala Ibrahim, told Punch that the ruling party was concerned about the internal crisis in the PDP and was ready to assist if formally approached.
He said, “We are looking at it (PDP crisis) from the outside and we are laughing at them. We look forward to the time when they ask us to help them on how to solve their problems. This should tell Nigerians that this is the kind of leadership they wanted to leave behind in the nation.
“People who cannot handle the affairs of their own families should not be entrusted with the affairs of the nation. The PDP has now shown everyone that they are bad at crisis management. It is the lack of internal democracy that has led Nigeria to this current crisis.
“Now they are showing their true colors. It is unfortunate. But if they want to come to their senses and be careful about how they do party politics, the APC should establish the Institute for Progress and the people should You can register to receive guidance on how to govern in a democracy.
“If you make a formal request that you are overwhelmed by a problem and don’t know how to solve it, we will provide you with all the help you need, conditionally.”
In response, the PDP expressed outrage, calling Bala’s remarks insulting.
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Ibrahim Abdullahi, accused the APC of sowing discord within the PDP.
he said: Of course, we know that they are laughing at us because of some of the elements they are using to cause discord in our camp. To be honest, we deserve to be laughed at. Can’t blame them.
“At the end of the day, there are people who have decided to cheapen us the way we are now, but whether they come and teach us something is a whole different story. ”
