Nigerian actor and political analyst Kenneth Okonkwo has once again taken aim at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), warning that the party is teetering on the edge of collapse due to deepening internal fractures and the growing dominance of former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.
In an interview, Okonkwo painted a bleak picture of the PDP’s future, arguing that the party’s internal discord and lack of unified direction could render it politically irrelevant by the 2027 general elections.
He asserted that Wike’s outsized influence has effectively reshaped the party’s trajectory, with many decisions now orbiting his personal political agenda. Okonkwo pointed to Wike’s recent public endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 2027 presidency as a clear signal that the PDP is no longer functioning as a cohesive opposition force.
“Wike has made his position clear he’s backing Tinubu,” Okonkwo said. “At this point, members of the PDP are faced with a choice: follow Wike’s lead or watch the party disintegrate.”
He accused the party of deliberately sabotaging its own prospects, suggesting that its current path is designed to ensure it remains uncompetitive in the next election cycle. Okonkwo recalled his earlier warnings about the party’s internal zoning debates, which he said were ignored until Wike’s recent declarations confirmed his concerns.
According to Okonkwo, the PDP is repeating the same strategic and ethical missteps that cost it credibility in 2023. He described the party’s current state as one plagued by impunity and a disregard for internal democracy.
“What should have been corrected in 2023 has now become normalized,” he lamented. “The PDP has institutionalized dysfunction, and it’s hard to see why any serious political actor would want to be part of that.”
Okonkwo’s remarks underscore a growing sentiment among critics who believe the PDP must urgently reform or risk political extinction in the face of mounting internal divisions and external challenges.
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