BREAKING: PDP Dead Beyond Repair, Wike Coming to APC Soon — FCT Minister’s Ally, Senator Onyesoh

Fresh political tremors have shaken the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following the defection of Senator Allwell Heacho Onyesoh, who represents Rivers East Senatorial District, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

 

The senator, a close ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, declared that the PDP is “dead beyond repair” and hinted strongly that efforts are underway to persuade Wike to also leave the party.

 

Onyesoh, who currently chairs the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs, formally announced his defection on Tuesday, deepening the crisis within the main opposition party and further fuelling speculations about an impending political realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking with journalists shortly after his defection, the senator did not mince words in expressing his disappointment with the PDP, accusing its leadership of ingratitude, internal sabotage and the erosion of democratic principles that once defined the party.

According to him, the PDP has taken Wike — a former governor of Rivers State and one of the party’s most influential financiers and mobilisers — for granted despite his immense contributions to the party’s survival over the years.

“He is our leader and he remains our leader,” Onyesoh said emphatically. “We will not allow him to continue to suffer in that party. They have used him enough, and we will pull him out.”

The senator’s remarks are likely to intensify debates over Wike’s political future, especially given the FCT minister’s long-running feud with the PDP national leadership and his open collaboration with the APC-led federal government since President Bola Tinubu assumed office.

‘A Party Consumed by Its Own Crises’

Onyesoh attributed his defection to what he described as irreconcilable internal contradictions within the PDP, arguing that the party’s persistent factional disputes and lack of internal discipline have made it incapable of functioning as a credible opposition.

“What they call peace is the peace of the graveyard,” he said. “The crises are not history; they are current affairs. New problems are emerging where the old ones stopped.”

He maintained that several reconciliation efforts initiated by the party leadership were cosmetic and failed to address the root causes of the PDP’s instability. According to him, the culture of impunity and selective application of party rules has become entrenched, leaving loyal members disillusioned and marginalised.

“The PDP has lost its soul,” the senator declared. “Impunity has eroded everything our founding fathers built. I don’t see anything in the narrow future that can resurrect the PDP.”

Allegations of Injustice and Exploitation

The lawmaker further accused some PDP leaders of undermining internal democracy by exploiting the party structure for personal gain. He alleged that while a few individuals bear the financial burden of running the party, others merely reap the benefits by securing tickets and appointments without making meaningful contributions.

“One man does the funding while others just collect tickets and positions,” Onyesoh said. “You cannot continue to fund a party that gives you nothing in return.”

This allegation echoes long-standing complaints within the PDP about godfatherism, lack of transparency in candidate selection, and the monetisation of party structures — issues that have repeatedly sparked internal conflicts and defections.

Onyesoh argued that these practices have alienated grassroots members and weakened the party’s organisational capacity, particularly at a time when it should be rebuilding and repositioning itself after losing the 2023 presidential election.

Defection Formally Announced in Senate

On the floor of the Senate, Onyesoh’s defection was formally announced during plenary when Senate President Godswill Akpabio read his letter, officially confirming his switch from the PDP to the APC.

Elected on the platform of the PDP, the senator said the decision to leave was not taken lightly but was necessary in order to effectively represent his constituents.

“The internal crises in the PDP have made it impossible to deliver meaningful dividends of democracy,” he said. “The party has become a shadow of its former self, reduced to a mere vehicle for personal ambitions.”

He accused the party leadership of routinely bending its own rules to favour certain aspirants during primaries, a practice he said has destroyed trust and cohesion within the party.

“They disobey all internal party rules just to get tickets,” he stated. “How can such a party inspire confidence among Nigerians?”

Implications for Rivers Politics and 2027

Political analysts say Onyesoh’s defection is more than an individual decision; it represents a significant blow to the PDP’s strength in Rivers State and the wider South-South region, historically one of the party’s strongholds.

Rivers State has been at the centre of intense political rivalry since Wike fell out with key PDP leaders following the 2023 elections. His refusal to support the party’s presidential candidate and his subsequent appointment as FCT minister in an APC-led government widened the cracks within the party and triggered a wave of defections by his loyalists.

Onyesoh’s move is therefore seen as part of a broader realignment of political forces in the state, with the APC steadily gaining ground by attracting influential figures from the opposition.

“This defection strengthens the APC’s position ahead of 2027,” said a political analyst based in Port Harcourt. “If Wike eventually joins the APC, it could completely alter the political equation in Rivers and beyond.”

Pressure Mounts on Wike

While Wike has not publicly declared his intention to leave the PDP, statements by close allies like Onyesoh suggest that discussions are ongoing behind the scenes. The senator’s open declaration that efforts are being made to “pull” Wike out of the PDP is likely to heighten speculation and increase pressure on the FCT minister to make his position clear.

For now, Wike remains officially a PDP member, albeit one whose relationship with the party leadership appears irreparably strained. Whether he eventually defects to the APC or charts a different political course remains to be seen.

However, one thing is clear: the PDP is facing one of the most challenging periods in its history, with defections, internal disputes and questions about its future direction continuing to dominate national political discourse.

As the countdown to the 2027 general elections begins, Onyesoh’s defection serves as yet another reminder of the shifting alliances and deepening uncertainties shaping Nigeria’s political landscape.