PDP Founding Member Ekpenyong Laments Defections, Predicts Party’s Decline

Senator Chris Ekpenyong, a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State (1999–2007), has expressed deep concern over the recent wave of defections by prominent PDP figures to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), warning that the opposition party may struggle to recover. In an interview with Vanguard on Saturday, April 26, 2025, Ekpenyong highlighted the defection of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his deputy Sir Monday Onyeme, and former Governor Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as a significant blow to the PDP’s structure.

Ekpenyong predicted that Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno, a PDP member who has openly endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, may soon follow suit and defect to the APC. He attributed the exodus to internal party missteps, particularly the decision to allow former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to pursue another presidential run in 2027. “Tinubu has killed the PDP. I’m sure Akwa Ibom may follow soon. Everybody wanted former VP Atiku to clearly state that he wasn’t going to contest, but his persistence has forced people to make their own decisions,” Ekpenyong stated.

He argued that Atiku’s ambition has deepened regional divisions within the PDP, alienating key members and weakening its ability to challenge the APC. “This is dividing the North and the South. What do we do now? The party has been destroyed. I honestly don’t know how they can rebuild it to challenge the APC in the future,” he lamented. Ekpenyong also criticized the PDP’s historical leadership, pointing to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s dominance as a founding error. “The first mistake PDP made was handing over the party to the governors. That was the mistake founding fathers like Obasanjo made,” he said, noting that only figures like Chief Sunday Awoniyi and former Vice President Alex Ekwueme resisted this trend.

The Delta defections, announced on April 23, 2025, saw the collapse of the PDP’s entire state structure, including commissioners, local government chairmen, and National Assembly members, into the APC, ending the PDP’s 26-year dominance in the state. Ekpenyong’s remarks echo sentiments on X, where users like @timeless_update and @NAIJAWATCHMEDIA reported the mass exodus, framing it as a strategic win for Tinubu’s 2027 campaign.

Ekpenyong’s pessimism contrasts with other PDP voices. Former presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, responding to the defections on April 25, 2025, defended the right to freedom of association, stating, “Defections, alliances, and realignments are part and parcel of democratic politics,” while urging Nigerians to reject Tinubu’s administration for its economic failures. However, Ekpenyong warned that the PDP’s dwindling influence—now reduced to 11 governors from its 2007 peak of 29—could be further eroded if more states like Akwa Ibom follow Delta’s lead.

The defections have intensified speculation about other PDP governors, with Akwa Ibom’s Umo Eno denying defection rumors on April 23, 2025, clarifying his Tinubu endorsement as a “strategic act” for state development. Despite this, Ekpenyong’s outlook suggests a party in crisis, struggling to unify against a consolidating APC ahead of 2027.