The National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Debo Ologunagba, has dismissed claims that the party is collapsing, insisting that despite recent defections and internal disputes, the PDP remains resilient and driven by its grassroots strength.
Speaking on ARISE News on Tuesday, Ologunagba said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was “not suffocating the PDP but suffocating Nigerians,” adding that the hardship and insecurity across the country would ultimately determine the outcome of the 2027 elections.
“When a governor defects, it’s a concern, but the strength of the PDP is not in governors — it’s in the people,” Ologunagba stated. “If the PDP is dead, why is everyone so interested in it?”
Responding to questions about the defection of Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, Ologunagba said such movements were driven not by ideology but by “personal interest, inducement, intimidation, and coercion,” which he accused the APC government of using to destabilise the opposition.
“People are no longer defecting because of policy or programmes,” he said. “They are being coerced, intimidated, or induced. The APC is in mortal fear of the PDP and its upcoming national convention.”
On allegations of internal division and weak disciplinary action, Ologunagba admitted that while the party had challenges, it was following due process in managing internal disputes.
“Yes, the process may be slow, but democracy itself is deliberate,” he explained. “We are managing people and interests carefully. When you find a madman in a china shop, you don’t destroy the shop — you carefully get him out.”
He dismissed suggestions that the PDP was in a vegetative state, describing such claims as propaganda. Citing the 2019 resurgence of the party in Oyo and Ondo States after years of decline, he said the PDP had always rebounded stronger because “its soul lies in the people.”
“We’ve been here before. In Oyo State, they said PDP was finished in 2017. By 2019, we won the governorship. The same happened in Ondo. That’s because the people, not individuals, are the source of our strength,” he said.
Addressing reports of a lawsuit seeking to stop the PDP’s national convention, Ologunagba described the development as “a threat to democracy,” alleging that such legal distractions were part of efforts by the ruling party to impose a one-party state.
“Anybody suing to stop our convention cannot be working for the PDP. This is clearly part of the APC’s design to weaken opposition and democracy,” he maintained.
On the lingering influence of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, within the PDP, Ologunagba declined to personalise the issue but said Nigerians could see through actions that undermine the opposition from within.
“Our focus is on rebuilding. Despite all that is thrown at us, this party will survive,” he asserted. “The National Convention in November will hold, and it will mark the beginning of our rebuilding process.”
Looking ahead, Ologunagba said the PDP’s leadership was asking itself hard questions about loyalty and purpose, particularly among members of the National Working Committee.
“Who are you for — democracy or personal interest?” he asked. “Those undermining the PDP from within are accomplices in derailing democracy. There will be consequences — not just political, but moral and reputational.”
He reaffirmed that the PDP remains Nigeria’s only true opposition party and that the 2027 elections would centre on “the economy, hunger, and insecurity,” issues he said had worsened under the APC.
“The only time people will defect from the PDP,” Ologunagba declared, “is when hunger defects from Nigeria.”
He concluded the interview by condoling with
ARISE News over the death of a team member, describing the tragedy as “a reflection of a government that has failed in its fundamental duty of providing security and welfare.”
Boluwatife Enome
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