Professor Udenta Udenta, a political strategist and founding National Secretary of the Alliance for Democracy, has claimed that the current troubles within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are being fueled by outside forces, not just internal disagreements.
In a recent interview, Udenta alleged that President Bola Tinubu, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Nigeria Police are all playing roles in trying to destabilize the PDP. He pointed to actions taken by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, at the PDP National Secretariat, saying they were carried out “on the orders of the President.”
Udenta argued that the crisis in the PDP is “externally engineered” and that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is intentionally trying to weaken its main opposition.
He said, “Wike is not an autonomous administrative or political force. He is a dependent force.” Udenta added, “Wike went to Wadata Plaza on behalf of the President because the President was at Wadata Plaza — not Wike. If Wike holds a press briefing, it is the President holding the briefing.”
According to Udenta, Wike’s role in the PDP is part of a larger plan by the Presidency to interfere in the party’s internal matters. He acknowledged that big parties like the PDP often face internal challenges but insisted that the current situation is being made worse by outside involvement.
“As we struggle to rebuild the party and grow the brand, the Presidency and the APC are working to diminish the party,” he said, noting that the APC sees the PDP as its biggest rival.
Udenta also criticized INEC for what he called unclear and selective decisions in handling the PDP’s leadership issues. He questioned the commission’s silence on certain matters, saying, “INEC has a mandate to be clear and unequivocal. In Ekiti, INEC’s actions showed it did not accept Abdurrahman as acting chairman, but it later accepted Damagun. Did INEC accept the suspension of four NWC members? INEC has not spoken.”
He accused INEC of picking which court orders to follow based on what suits its preferred outcome.
On the role of the police, Udenta claimed they helped one faction gain access to the PDP Secretariat, despite earlier complaints from the camp of the new PDP chairman, Tanimu Turaki SAN’s son. He said the Anyanwu group was allowed into the building early in the morning, raising concerns about fairness and neutrality.
Udenta’s remarks add to growing concerns about political interference and the future of opposition politics in Nigeria.
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