Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, former spokesperson of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is “gone and beyond repair,” arguing that the party can no longer serve as a viable opposition in Nigeria’s political landscape.
Baba-Ahmed made the remarks on Thursday during a programme on Arise News, amid lingering internal crises within the PDP following the 2023 general elections.
The main opposition party has been grappling with leadership disputes, factional divisions, and a wave of defections, including those of serving governors and prominent party members to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to Baba-Ahmed, the depth of the PDP’s problems makes any meaningful recovery unlikely.
“The PDP is drifting away. I think it is gone, and I do not believe anyone can fix it,” he said.
He, however, dismissed the notion that the PDP is the only platform capable of challenging the APC, pointing to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a potential alternative.
“The PDP is not the only party capable of providing a credible opposition to the APC; there is the ADC and others,” Baba-Ahmed stated.
He stressed the need for a strong and organised opposition to deepen democracy, ensure accountability, and provide Nigerians with clear political choices ahead of future elections.
Baba-Ahmed’s comments come as debates intensify over the future of opposition politics in Nigeria, with analysts questioning whether existing parties can reorganise or if new political movements will fill the vacuum left by a weakened PDP.
