PDP has lost its steam, no longer competitive — Okowa

Former Governor of Delta State and the 2023 Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has said that the PDP has lost its momentum as a party and can no longer be competitive in Nigeria’s political landscape.

Okowa stated this while explaining his reason for leading elected officials in Delta State into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). According to him, the political structure birthed in 1998 is no longer the same party that exists in today’s opposition.

He said it was better for the people of Delta State to move to a more formidable political structure that would benefit the state, its people, and its resources, rather than remain in the PDP. “When you are tired of what is going on and you no longer understand what is happening in a place you once called home, then you probably need to step out and find another home,” he said.

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Speaking as a guest on Arise TV on Tuesday, Senator Okowa said the decision to join the APC was best for Delta State, as it would put the state in direct connection with Abuja, the center of power.

He maintained that he knows the PDP very well and understands that it is no longer a vehicle for political advancement. “I have been a player in the PDP from the beginning — from its formative stage to where we got to. We worked hard to win elections, and yes, I held various positions at different times. But the PDP that was birthed in 1998 no longer appears to be the same PDP we are running today,” he said.

He argued that Nigerian politics lacks ideology and that those questioning his ideological convictions are ignoring the political realities across all parties.

“Let me just say, if you’re talking about ideology and reforms, it’s obvious to me — and I don’t know about you, but think about it, there is hardly any party in Nigeria that adheres to a distinct ideology. Unfortunately, we have not moved in the direction of building ideologically driven parties. If you examine the manifestos of the various parties in the last election, you’ll find they were almost identical.

“No party appears to operate on firm ideological principles. As a people, we’ve failed to build our parties around a specific ideology, and it seems that political parties in Nigeria are merely vehicles for contesting elections. That is the reality at the moment,” Senator Okowa said.

Dismissing fears of Nigeria becoming a one-party state, Okowa said, “The truth is that the PDP today is not as competitive as it once was. It can no longer serve as the vehicle we must continue with.

“I don’t believe we are heading towards a one-party state because people will always have different opinions. That’s why, even today, we still have the APC and the PDP. It’s just that some of us feel the PDP is not preparing itself to be competitive enough. If we were confident that they were making themselves competitive, perhaps we wouldn’t have moved,” he concluded.